Reaching New Ground
by Cryssy-miu
Summary: It's difficult for the Crystal Gems to help corrupted and misguided gems. But perhaps the most corrupted gems in need of help are the ones living with them, and what they need more then a prison is a mentor and someone that cares. Family themes.
1. Eye To Eye

_(A/N: A small idea that just nagged and nagged at me until I wrote it, takes place shortly after "Back To The Barn" and looks more at the 'age difference' between the gems. I know Peridot isn't really a child because age isn't a factor in their creations but she is the youngest and likely only a few years old. Besides...I love kid!Dot being mommed by the gems and a sister to Steven._

 _Small warning: contains slight violence and disciplinary corporal punishment.)_

* * *

"Do you have any sixes?" Steven asked Peridot as he flipped through his cards.

"...No."

"That's when you say 'go fish.'"

Peridot threw down the deck in annoyance. "Why do I say 'go fish?' Where is the logic there? What are we fishing for? Are these cards in your earth ocean? I don't understand!"

Steven laughed. "No Peridot, see the cards?" Steven held up one and flipped it around. It had an illustration of a goldfish on the back. "They have fish on them, that's why it's called 'Go Fish.'"

"But WHY?" Peridot shrieked, snatching the card and shaking it. "WHAT RELEVANCE DOES THIS GAME HAVE TO FISH?!"

Steven paused. "You know...I don't really know, but you gotta hurry up and take your turn. I gotta meet Connie in a few minutes and the gems are going to be back from their mission any moment now." He stopped and looked at the clock. "Whoa, actually I need to get going now! Uh..." He looked awkwardly at the green gem. "You should...probably get back to the bathroom before the gems get back."

Peridot's face fell. "I don't like it in there," she growled. "It's dark and stinks and I'm all alone. Not that I prefer the gems' company, but...you aren't so bad."

"Yeah." Steven frowned sympathetically. "But I don't want them getting mad or beating you up because of it so you better go." He opened the front door and waved to her. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay? We can finish our game later!"

Peridot scowled at the door and she scowled even more when she heard the sound of the warp pad go off behind her, eyes narrowed hatefully.

"Yo, whatcha doing out of your cage, nerd?" Amethyst asked snidely behind her. "It's not 'Build-A-Bot' Day, we don't need you for any geeky things today."

Peridot whirled furiously around. "Oh yeah, I forgot I only exist when you need me."

"Yeah, excuse me for not being buddy-buddy to the runty bean that tried to kill us."

"I was just doing my job!" Peridot snarled. She was getting tired of the gems' treatment of her, and she was sick of living in that stupid stink hole. "Why do I have to stay in the bathroom when I'm without any weapons? I'm harmless to you all."

The gems stepped off the warp pad. "Peridot, just cooperate," Garnet said tiredly. Pearl attempted to give the green gem a polite smile.

"Let's just try to avoid anymore confrontations and just listen, okay? I think we've had enough problems lately." Peridot glared up at her, the frustration boiling in her starting to spill out, and with Steven not here to quell the rage, it grew.

"What's wrong, gems? Are you all so weak and pathetic that you can't take an unarmed KINDERGARDENER and have to resort to locking her in a bathroom because you can't handle her?"

Amethyst growled and pulled out her whip. "I can handle you just fine you little wimp! Didn't you learn your lesson last time Pearl beat you up?!"

"That was with the robot! I doubt she could deal that sort of damage without the aid of technology!"

Pearl huffed. "I didn't need technology to punch you in the face, you little-!"

"Pearl enough," Garnet said. Her tone became harder. "Peridot, enough."

"No!" Peridot snarled. "I'm tired of being pushed around by you—you stupid ROCKS! You're traitorous clods that have done nothing but SHOW HOW PATHETIC YOU ARE and if it wasn't for your _Rose Quartz_ you would have just faded into the-" Suddenly she was grabbed swiftly by Garnet, who held the struggling thing by the collar and started dragging her towards the temple door.

"Yeah, that's right!" Amethyst whooped. "Kick her green butt, Garnet!"

Garnet slammed the door and practically tossed the brat to her feet, fists clenched. "You need to stop," she growled and started to stalk towards her.

"You don't scare me," the tiny gem said in a shaky voice, even as she tried to back up. Garnet stormed towards her and slammed her foot in the ground, splintering the tiles. Peridot tried to hold back a whimper.

"Not so confident now without Steven here to protect you, are you?" Garnet asked with a sneer. "And less chatty when you realize you're in trouble."

"N-no, wait..." Peridot was running out of options. Garnet was blocking the door, and with every step that Peridot attempted to make, the larger gem would block her means of escape. Peridot contemplated darting through her legs, but didn't trust the large gem not to crush her.

Garnet closed in, and the young gem's terror mounted. There was nowhere to hide, she had no weaponry and even her feeble little slaps that were enough to hurt Steven couldn't do a thing on a large gem like Garnet. "Steven!" Peridot shrieked out at the top of her lungs, even though she knew it would do no good. "STEVEN HELP ME!"

Garnet's, eyes, dark and wrathful underneath her visor, darkened. "Steven isn't here Peridot, he's out with his friend. Looks like you're caught."

"Nuh-no..." The tiny gem tried to put some distance between them, quite honestly beginning to fear for her life at this point. "No, please don't shatter me! I-I..." She whimpered. "Wa-wait, you promised remember? You promised Steven you wouldn't hurt me! You know I still have information that is of value to you!" Backed up against the wall, she gave one last threatening snarl. "BACK UP YOU WORTHLESS WAR MACHINE!"

Garnet suddenly reached out and snatched the small gem up by her wrist, temper boiling. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SNIDE COMMENTS YOU LITTLE GEMBRAT!" She jerked the Kindergardener up by her arm. "And I'm going to PUT YOU IN YOUR PLACE!"

"Go ahead, I DARE YOU!" Peridot yelled.

It was tempting to use her gauntlets, it really was. She could deal massive damage that way and send the little parasite right back to her gem, but... their little boy crossed her mind and she knew that she couldn't. So Garnet decided on a different tactic. Equally as painful but more concealed, and wouldn't poof the brat away. She raised one leg and threw down the tiny green thing. Then her hand came down hard on the small gem's backside.

"Augh!" Peridot yelped in surprise and thrashed her small legs. "What in Homeworld's name DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" She screamed and kicked and beat her tiny fists against Garnet's leg and her rage could probably be heard through out the temple. The screams were deafening and incredibly melodramatic. Garnet had to roll her eyes. A few pops to her butt and the brat acted like she was being murdered.

"I'm reminding you of where you are!" Garnet hissed over Peridot's commotion, and she swatted her fiercely once more. The young gem over her knee let out a gasp. "You're on my turf now, Peridot! You have nothing over us, and you're completely at our mercy! You are in OUR custody and I will not tolerate the way you treat me and my friends any longer!'

The screaming fit calmed down and instead Peridot's face twisted in discomfort as she hastened her attempts to kick away from the larger gem. Her fists clenched in distress and she let out a whimper. "A-ah! All you're succeeding in doing is just proving what awful monsters you are!" she yelled, the pain and frustration making tears threaten to leak.

Garnet's face screwed up in hate and she raised her hand higher so the swats were devastatingly harder. This produced louder shrieks, and quickly, crying from the captive gem, whose struggling became desperate. "I'M THE MONSTER?" she yelled at her, delivering harsh bruising spanks. "I AM? I'M NOT THE ONE INVADING AN INNOCENT PLANET AND THREATENING THE LIVES OF AN ENTIRE SPECIES! I'M NOT THE ONE PLANNING ON COMMITTING MASS GENOCIDE!"

"I WAS JUST DOING WHAT I WAS TOLD!" Peridot yelled through her sobs, in a loud enraged scream. "I was just following ORDERS! I didn't know ANYTHING about this planet! I didn't know it had lives worth anything! I didn't even know what the Cluster was at first! I didn't know what you went through or what they went through! I didn't know Steven! I didn't know Pearls were anything more then droids! I didn't know that fusion was more then a war tactic! I WAS NEVER TAUGHT IT!"

Garnet's bared teeth slowly unclenched and her hand began to lower as the small green gem thrashed and screamed through the tears streaming down her face, expression screwed up in hatred.

"I didn't ask to be a part of this thing in the first place!" Peridot screamed. "I didn't ask to come to earth! I didn't ask to be your prisoner, stuck in a smelly cubicle! I never asked to serve Yellow Diamond— _I NEVER EVEN ASKED TO BE MADE!_ "

The fusion became still, her eyes wide with shock. She stopped hitting her, but Peridot punched the air and her leg and tried to inflict as much hurt as she possibly could for all the hurt that was ever given to her.

By now the small gem was barely understandable through her sobs, which began to come out in increasingly louder fits, her voice hoarse with rage. "I just wanted to do my job! That was all! I was just supposed to check on the stupid cluster! All I wanted to do was get home, but you destroyed everything I have! I wasn't even AFTER YOU ANYMORE!" she yelled. "I was just trying to get HOME! I was just trying to get off this stupid hunk of rock! But what did you do?! You break my communication pod, you destroy the hub—you take my LIMBS! You just kept trying to hurt me and keep me here! You got rid of anything I have to defend myself!"

She had to stop to take a breath that gems didn't even need, crying harder and thrashing harder. "And it's still not enough for you! You have to demean me and hurt me! You take advantage of the fact that I'm weak and tiny to beat me up! You trap me in the bathroom like some kind of animal! You tie me to a pole! You call yourself a hero, but you're nothing but a BULLY!" she screamed. She threw back her head and finally wailed. "I JUST...WANNA...GO... _HOOOOOME!_ "

The fight and the hate left and all that remained was a crippling sadness. Large tears poured down the small gem's face as she wailed endlessly, sobbing and hiccuping and dispelling all of the pain and homesickness into one large crying fit. She wasn't even trying to get off the woman's knee by this point. She just hung limply and bawled. The gems had done what they intended: they had completely broken her.

Garnet just sat there in stunned silence, watching as the poor gem cried harder then she had even seen Steven cry as a baby. Every sob could probably be heard through out the temple. It was harsh and hysterical and filled with so much pain that it tugged at her deep within.

The gravity of everything the small gem had just said began to sink in, and the harder Peridot cried the more Garnet felt like the bully she was accused of being. Here she was hurting a defenceless gem that was even younger then Amethyst, and perhaps, the closest thing to a child that existed in their species. And deep down she knew that Peridot didn't know better. She was never given a chance to, it was instilled into her from her harvest. In fact, the small gem wasn't even given a choice. She was a slave from the moment she was harvested. She never even had the ability to turn to the Crystal Gems during the war. She wasn't even made yet. Every action, every thought...was what she was told. And unlike them, she didn't have anyone to rescue her like they had Rose. Homeworld was so awful when they were there. Who knew how much worse it was now?

Ruby and Sapphire were battling it out in her head, but they both had the same thought. What would Rose say about this? What would Rose think of her now, hurting and terrifying a vulnerable gemling because she could. What did this say to Steven? "Tread carefully or I'll beat you too"? They didn't threaten him or hurt him every time he did something problematic. They were supposed to be the "good guys" but right now all they were doing was teaching a young and impressionable gem that bad behavior couldn't be unlearned without terror, and pain.

This isn't what Rose would have wanted...and she would be disappointed if she could see this now.

Slowly, Garnet reached down and uprighted the bawling gem. Time became nothing but a watery blur to Peridot, and she didn't even realize that she was sitting up in Garnet's lap now. Tears poured down her face and her nose ran. Her entire face was a mess of mucus and tears but Garnet didn't care about that as she let the wailing gem lean against her.

Peridot was so broken that she buried her face in Garnet's chest and just let out tiny, broken little warbles. "I just...wanna...go home..." she whimpered in a tiny pained little mew. "I just...wan'...g-go...h-ho...home..."

"I know." But they couldn't give her that even if they wanted to. The warp pad was destroyed and it would take ages to build a functioning vessel to take them to Homeworld. And even though the gemling didn't see it, she was better off here. There she was just a number and something that could be mass produced. There she was a prisoner. Garnet lowered her head. Here...she was just _their_ prisoner. How was it any different? She was someone's captive no matter where she was.

Peridot's sobs slowly started to quiet in exhaustion. She gave a tiny little gasp and a whimper when Garnet slowly draped an arm around her. "W-what are you doing?" she whimpered, trying to get away. "P-please...don't hurt me again!"

"No...no..." Garnet said quietly. Another arm fell down to the tiny one's level, and she put a gentle hand on her head. "No more hurting." She reached up and pulled off her visor, looking down at the gemling with three very somber eyes.

Peridot didn't know what to make of the gesture, but when she felt fingers thread through her hair it became more comforting and less threatening. She felt warm instead of cold with fear.

"I'm sorry."

Peridot gazed up with shock and Garnet summoned a cloth from her gem, wiping the small thing's messy face. "You're right, we've been bullies. Certainly you are not faultless but we aren't either. We've been taking advantage of the fact that you're defenseless and small and we've been pushing you around and hurting you. In the process of trying to keep this planet safe I forgot what Rose Quartz taught me and all of us. ...Forgiveness."

Peridot wiped her eyes and looked curiously up at the larger gem.

"If it wasn't for Rose's ability to believe that everyone was capable of change the Crystal Gems wouldn't be here right now." She smiled sadly. "I guess I forgot my mentor's teachings. I've never even given you a chance to change, and I'm sorry. Steven believes in you...I know I should try too. We need to do better...not just for the Cluster and saving this planet, but for each ourselves, and the team."

Peridot sniffled and she looked away, not sure what to say or what to make of this.

"You have a lot to apologize for too," Garnet told the gemling. "And you know it...but I'm not going to push you. This is about my apology, and you can say something when you're ready. For now... let's just try our best. ...Okay?"

A tear squeezed out from under the gem's visor and her face scrunched up in pain as she covered her face. "I'm so sore." Garnet wiped the solitary tear.

"I should have waited until I was calmer to confront you," Garnet said quietly. She never thought she'd actually be concerned if she really hurt Peridot. It wasn't like she could be injured that badly with the strength of their bodies and the menial childish punishment, but still...Garnet knew it was unnecessarily violent and harder then it ever should have been. "Let's make something clear though."

Peridot blinked as Garnet lifted her up by the underarms and hoisted the youngster up so she was face to face and eye to eye. Garnet's three eyes glared sternly into the tiny gem's wide green ones. "I will not tolerate you mistreating my team-mates the way you have been. No negative comments, no awful insults—especially to Pearl..." Her expression darkened more and Peridot bit her lip.

"I-I understand," Peridot said quietly. She held her breath when Garnet grabbed her chin and made her look her dead in the eyes. All three, very serious eyes.

"I mean it," Garnet said, her tone holding a very real warning that made the smaller gem want to sink through the floor. "Or there will be a repeat of what transpired." Peridot's green eyes filled with fear at the very thought and she gave a rapid nod of agreement. Then Garnet softly set her down on her feet.

"Let's head back." Garnet started for the door, but Peridot bolted behind her and backed away from the door as if it was on fire. She didn't say anything, but Garnet read the fear in her eyes. The fusion let herself give the slightest, coaxing smile. "It will be okay," she promised. The young gem eyed her sceptically for a moment, but after some hesitation she cautiously crept forward and stood so she was slightly hidden by the woman's large leg when the door opened.

Garnet looked at the two very curious gems but didn't feel like it was fair to Peridot to divulge everything that had just happened. "I handled it," was all she said and moved away from the green gem.

"Good," Amethyst muttered as she made a move to grab a broom and started pushing Peridot towards the bathroom, nudging her with the bristles like she was trying to scare away a raccoon. "Beat it Greenie, back to your poop-room." Normally the small gem would screech indignantly, but still upset about what happened she looked ready to burst into tears.

"Amethyst, that's enough," Garnet ordered. Pearl and Amethyst weren't sure what to be more shocked about: the fact that Garnet defended the gem, or that Peridot ran and hid behind Garnet for protection the moment Amethyst stepped away.

"What?" Pearl blinked. The green gem hid her face in Garnet's leg.

"We're not keeping her in the bathroom anymore," Garnet said and felt Peridot stare up at her in surprise. "Steven will be home soon and he'll want to see her anyway." She looked at the small gem. "Why don't you go upstairs to wait for him?" It would at least keep Peridot from fighting with the others and protect her from their prodding.

Pearl and Amethyst looked at each other but were given no explanation from either gem and the conversation was dropped. Peridot wandered up the stairs and Garnet sat on the couch. So many questions were on the two gems' minds. Whatever had happened in Garnet's room, it had definitely changed things. Not another word was spoken but the air felt...lighter, and the silence was a far more comfortable one.


	2. Anxiety

_(A/N: So first off, thank you all for the reviews! Holy smokes, I didn't think a one shot of these two would be this well received! With a lot of people asking me not to, I've decided not to end it where it was. I have a few other ideas. This will be more of a little series then a plot based fic like "Shattered Realities". If you all are interested, that's my other fic-Homeworld gem redemption centered and one of my most popular._

 _Without further ado, here's the next installment. I always have imagined Garnet to be good with soothing anxiety, and Peri baby has a lot!)_

* * *

She wanted to try sleep. Steven seemed to enjoy it, or at least it was some sort of requirement for his hybrid species and it passed the time, which is what she needed. The gems wouldn't let her work on the drill by herself and they wanted to wait until Steven was awake to be a part of it. Curious about the stasis state the child seemed to go into, Peridot was all for experimenting with it.

Sleep had been a bad idea.

 _"Log Date, 25. I'm currently stuck in a cubicle guarded by Topaz gems as I await my fate by my Diamond," the trembling, newly harvested Peridot whispered into her audio system summoned through her limb enhancers. "I was entrusted to work on a new vessel that's currently in prototype mode. B-but..." The gem flinched at every sound that echoed through the corridors. "I miscalculated a-an important part of the diagram I created and it resulted in a catastrophic explosion. I sh-shattered three other Peridots and now I await to see what will become of me..."_

 _"Hey, rookie!" one of the Topaz hissed. "You have the right to remain silent, you little shard. Show some pride and dignity in front of her majesty!"_

 _Peridot gasped as the gemproof barrier around her cell disappeared in a flash of yellow and she was violently yanked to the floor. "O-oh, My Diamond! Pl-please accept my sincere apologies! I-I overestimated-" She was cut off as a white hot jolt of electricity pierced her back from behind._

 _"Quiet, gem!" one of the guards sneered. "Do not speak unless spoken to!"_

 _Yellow Diamond held up a hand to shush the guard. "Shh-shhh, Topaz. Now there's no need to frighten the little gem, is there?" She looked down at Peridot, her expression ominously kind. "Follow me, Peridot."_

 _Stiffly, terrified, she obeyed. "I really didn't mean it," she pleaded. "Please, forgive me, Your Grace! It's just—I'm still learning—and-!" A claw was suddenly at her lips._

 _"Shhh...I know," Yellow Diamond said kindly, a strangely benevolent smile on her face. "We all make mistakes." They warped to the outside of a facility. It smelled...metallic. It smelled like a mixture of different melted gemstones."And this..." Yellow Diamond turned to her and the smile on her face was suddenly more malicious. "This is what's going to happen to you if you make another..."_

 _Peridot couldn't measure the time increment it took for her to be on her knees and begging for her life through her tears. "Please—please—please..." It repeated over and over until the gemling was smacked into the dirt._

 _"Topaz," Yellow Diamond boredly instructed the group of guards. "Let's give this gem some motivation not to screw up again, shall we?" She started to walk away and Peridot's pleas fell on deaf ears as she was left with the violent guards. They had no mercy. They kicked her, they punched her, they beat her, they zapped her. Her screams and cries echoed in the darkness and would never be heard. No gem even turned their head._

Peridot jolted awake with a suppressed scream. She fought with the hot dog patterned quilt Steven had laid on top of her. In the nightmarish moment it just felt like it was something that was trying to restrict her. She kicked it off and tumbled to her face, violently hyperventilating. Screams bubbled in her throat but she refused to release them and wake the sleeping boy.

"Sh-she's coming!" the young gem croaked in terror as she climbed to her feet, hyperventilating. "I'm gonna...be shattered!" She tripped on the slippery tiles and went tumbling down the stairs. Pain shot up her leg but she ignored it as she started to violently bang on the temple door.

"Fusion! Fusion!" She paused and kept on slamming at the door. "Garnet! Garnet—please!" Her throat closed up. The walls were caving in on her. She could hear her Diamond's wicked laughter ringing through her ears.

The ruby and sapphire on the large door glowed as it opened. There stood a very confused looking and concerned Garnet. "Peridot, what..." She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as the gem ducked through her legs and practically somersaulted to the safety of Garnet's room.

"She-she's after me!" Peridot crawled on all fours and tugged at her own hair in distress. Every falling shadow in the room looked like some creature out to get her. "I-I don't want to be shattered! P-please!" She bolted behind Garnet and cowered behind her leg.

Dumbstruck, the fusion bent down to the gem's level. "Peridot, what's going on? Who's after you?" A strange and protective urge flared up within her. Was someone trying to take her away? And how? Were they after the team?! "Talk to me."

The green gem could hardly get anything out through her hyperventilating. It was definitely a good thing that breathing wasn't required for their kind, or else she'd have passed out by now. "I-I d-didn't m...mean it! I-I'm s-sorry, My Diamond! I...only...wanted...to...sleep and-and then s-she was...there!"

Garnet's shoulders fell slowly as the fear flooded away. A nightmare, she had had a nightmare. "Peridot, calm down. Yellow Diamond isn't here. I promise. You're safe." The small gem gasped and hyperventilated, cradling her knees as she rocked back and forth. "You're alright."

She reached down to pick up the terrified gem, and Peridot went ballistic. With a loud screech, she fought, kicked and struggled in Garnet's arms. "Let go of me! Re-release me! I w...I won't let you shatter me!" One of her arms swung out in reflex, and they smacked off the fusion's visor. Instantly, that snapped the gemling back to reality.

Her green eyes went wide with horror and a cold sweat overtook her. "O...oh. I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked desperately. "Pl-please, it was an accident! Forgive me! I-!"

Garnet said nothing as she calmly pushed the visor away with her foot and sat down with the gem. She knew exactly what to do now that she knew what the problem was. She wasn't a stranger to panic attacks, even of this severity. Pearl tended to fall into a few, and it was just the matter of reassuring her that she was safe and that she was right there for her. Steven had nightmares too—but Pearl usually beat her to it comforting him.

"Look into my eyes," Garnet instructed and Peridot shakily obeyed. Three gentle orbs stared back at her, blinking softly. The gem followed the movements with her own eyes, blinking tears down her face. The blank look of terror started to fade as she came to. She started to tremble.

Garnet hoisted the gem up gently into her arms and Peridot leaned into her chest immediately. The trembling lessened, her mind straining with the memories.

"Sh-she was...right there! I-I don't understand! I...I...!"

"You had a nightmare," Garnet said quietly, but she had a feeling this terror ran deeper then that. Nightmare, or a memory? When she felt the gem's grip on her tighten, Garnet made her decision. With a flash of light she defused and Ruby and Sapphire stood in her place.

Peridot stared at the two gems in shock, looking from one to the other. Sapphire smiled gently at her and Ruby looked almost playfully smug at the surprise on the gem's face. "I-I don't understand," Peridot said in awe. "I thought you weren't going to unfuse for me."

"Well no, not as long as the reason you wanted us to unfuse was because you couldn't stand to look at us together. But two gems to comfort you seemed better then one, right Sapphy?" Sapphire stepped forward and gently placed a hand on the younger gem's face.

"I sense that you have been through great pain," she said softly, expression creased in sympathy. "Your Diamond...your colony, isn't as amazing as you've tried to convince us it is, is it?"

Peridot's eyes brimmed over with fresh tears and she burst into a round of sobbing once more, latching to the blue gem. Sapphire's arms enveloped her immediately as she ran her fingers down the gem's heaving back. "It never changed," she said gravely.

"Well duh!" Ruby snorted, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Saph, did you really think it ever would? Rose knew it wouldn't, that's why she left. It looks like after all these years it just got worse..." Her annoyance melted as she looked at the inconsolable gem and came over. She gaped as Sapphire sheepishly held Peridot away.

"What's that for?"

"Maybe you should leave the comforting to me, Ruby. I think it's more in my field."

"What makes you say that?!"

"Well for one, you're burning a hole through the floor."

"What?" Ruby looked down to realize that she had already sunken halfway through the floor. Any further and she'd probably be in Amethyst's room. She yelped and jumped up. "Oh man!"

Peridot paused in her crying to peer curiously over the blue gem's shoulder. She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Your partner has quite the f-fiery disposition. ...No pun intended."

Sapphire chuckled and moved to put the gemling down, but Peridot panicked and clung to her. "Wait, I'm not ready! I don't want to be set down!" So she continued to hold her close. "Why don't you talk to me?" Sapphire suggested. "Tell me about your nightmare."

"Ni-nightmare?" the gem whispered. "Is that...wh-what I went through? Th-that's the name for it?" She let out a distressed noise and covered her face. "Is that wh-what sleeping is? Why does Steven do it?!" Sapphire pat her hair gently.

"Well it isn't always like that," she assured. "You had a nightmare about Yellow Diamond, yes? Talk about it, I think it may help you."

Peridot's lower lip trembled harshly and she covered her face with her hands. "If I had just been able to defend myself!" she cried in frustration. "I couldn't back then—I didn't even know how to use the stupid suit other then its database. They equipped me with lasers for protection on missions but they never even taught me how to—use it!"

Sapphire kept patting the gem's back but Peridot was too riled up again. "Who hurt you? Yellow Diamond?"

"I..." Peridot's lip trembled. "I deserved it! I couldn't perform the way she expected me to!"

"Whoa, what?" Ruby did a double take. "Listen to yourself, kid! You're telling me you think she was justified in beating you to a pulp because you made a mistake?"

"Peridots are manufactured to never make mistakes!" the green gem cried. "We're supposed to know everything! And I didn't! I'm useless! Useless!"

Sapphire's expression became hard. "I've heard enough."

Peridot suddenly began to smack her fist into her gem.

"And it's THIS stupid thing! This defective, stupid thing THAT HASN'T WORKED SINCE MY HARVEST!" She increased the vigor of her fist, slamming it over and over again. "It's useless! I'm useless! Why did they even send me—I can't even use my own weapon-!" Her fist rose to slam into the stone again, but it was caught by a larger hand as three eyes looked sternly into her own.

"Stop hitting yourself," Garnet ordered gently. "You're going to hurt yourself." The gemling struggled to free her own hand but Garnet held strong. "Stop. Look at me." She squeezed the green one's cheeks firmly to still her thrashing head. _"Peridot."_

With her arms and hands restricted and her legs trapped between Garnet's knees the gem had no choice but to look at the fusion. Her fingers twitched with the urge to hit herself again and Garnet kept holding her arm until it fell limp in defeat. Ashamed, Peridot turned her head.

"This is the exact thing we're trying to teach you," Garnet said softly, her arms slipping around the gem's waist to hold her. "You've been brainwashed your whole life into thinking that if you can't serve the empire, you're completely useless. But look at everything you've accomplished since coming to earth. You've helped us build the drill and we couldn't have done it without you. You've helped save an entire planet. That may not feel like much of an accomplishment compared to what you're used to...but trust me..."

Peridot blinked as she was suddenly turned around and held up once more by the underarms.

"It means a lot to _us..._ You're worth more then you think." She tapped the gem's small green stone.

Never having been shown such affection, Peridot felt a lump form in her throat. She was more grateful then she could possibly articulate. "Thank you," was all she could whisper.

Garnet smiled and stretched out slightly so she was perched against the wall with the small gem in her lap. "Why don't you go back to sleep? I promise it's really not that bad. I've done it, it's peaceful."

"No!" Peridot felt herself getting worked up again. "No, never again! I refuse to subject myself to that kind of terror ever again!" The fusion lay a hand on her back.

"It'll be different now. You have someone to protect you. If Yellow Diamond comes back again." Garnet's three eyes gave a mischievous wink. "I'll beat her right into orbit..."

Peridot blinked up at the woman and she gave a slow, reluctant nod. Positioning herself so she was laying in the fusion's lap, she shut her eyes and curled in. Garnet rested her head against the wall and waited until the gemling's muscles had completely relaxed before she shut her eyes herself.


	3. Disagreement

"Good job, everyone," Pearl praised as she wiped some sweat off her brow and examined their handy work so far. The drill was far from completed, but they had made some progress with it. It was starting to come together. They had the internal parts put together at least. Now it was about fitting the puzzle pieces of the outside together.

"Is it almost done?" Steven exclaimed excitedly. Pearl shook her head.

"Not quite, there's still much to do." Pearl examined some of the metal laid out on the lawn. "We have to create the outside of it now, and..." She tapped her chin. "Amethyst, I don't think you got the right parts."

"What are you talking about P?" Amethyst sighed, drinking a juice box and eating it. "I got it from the Kindergarden."

"But did you get it from the part of the Kindergarden I told you to go to?"

"..."

"Amethyst!"

The purple gem winced. "Alright alright, maybe I didn't listen to your exact instructions, but it's okay. We can just go back and get another, right?"

Pearl huffed. "Well we're going to have to now."

"We can take a break," Garnet told them all. "It's fine."

Steven looked down at the pieces of metal. "So what do we do with all of this?" He grinned. "Can I slide on it like a toboggan?"

"It's useless," Pearl sighed. "So you can do whatever you want with it." She pat Amethyst's head. "Come on Amethyst, we'll go get another."

Peridot tilted an eyebrow in confusion as Steven started dragging the large metal pieces towards the top of the hill. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna slide down the hill!"

" _Why?"_

 _"_ Because it's fun. You mostly do it in the winter," Steven said, as he mounted the metal. "But really you can slide down anything that's slippery enough, and this should be!"

"It seems kind of pointless." Peridot wrinkled her face up. "And might I add, a bit dangerous. Not to mention that with the trajectory of the angle of this hill, you're likely to hit that rock halfway down the middle there."

"It'll be fine," Steven assured. "I do things like this all the time! Now you stand here and count how long it takes me to reach the bottom of the hill. I want to see if this is faster then my winter sled."

Peridot sighed. "Well...fine." She crossed her arms in annoyance. Steven pushed off and started going down the hill. "One...two...three..."

"Wheeee!" Steven squealed as the metal zoomed down the grassy incline, and Steven threw up his hands in excitement.

"Steven look out! MY CALCULATIONS WERE CORRECT!"

"Huh—whoa!" Just then the edge of the slab caught the side of a rock. It caused the metal to jerk forward, and throw the child off of it. Steven yelped as he went rolling down the hill until he tumbled to a stop on his back, hitting the ground hard.

"Oomph!" The wind was knocked out of him a little, but other then that he felt fine. Steven giggled. That had been so fun! He could hear Peridot shouting after him and was about to shout back when a devious idea came to mind. He could pop up and scare her like she did when he read that spooky comic the other night!

Steven could hear frantic steps race through the grass towards him and it took everything in him to keep from giggling and ruining his prank here and now. He kept his body flat against the grass and his eyes shut, sticking his tongue out for effect. Anyone would be able to tell it was pretty fake.

"Steven!" Peridot shouted as she ran towards him. She gave a horrified gasp and threw her hands to her mouth, green eyes widening at the motionless boy. "Steven! Steven! Are you injured?!" The teenager quivered with a repressed giggle but Peridot didn't notice it. "Steven!" She shook him. "Open your eyes!"

Steven didn't obey, but he was just about to spring up and pounce on the green gem when he heard loud sniffling.

Peridot sat there with large tears starting to make their way down her face, fogging up her visor. A sharp, whimpered breath escaped her as she buckled into the grass. "Oh no, no..." He was dead. She had seen this before on tv, he was dead. Humans closed their eyes and went still forever when they died. It was their equivalent to shattering. "No, please!"

Panic seized Steven as the green gem's crying became harder and he froze-which probably wasn't the best thing to do right now. No, no, this wasn't what was supposed to happen! How could she think he was really dead? Anyone would be able to tell he was only playing around. Except... A horrible thought dawned on Steven. Peridot didn't know that. She didn't know what acting was, she hardly knew what a joke was.

"Wait, wait—it's okay!" Steven jolted up immediately in front of the heartbroken gem. "I'm fine, see? I'm fine! I'm not even hurt!"

Shocked, Peridot scrambled back and stared at him through her tears. "Wh-what-?!"

"It-it was just a joke," Steven stammered, feeling worse every moment he realized he had really upset her. "I wasn't really dead, it was—I was playing."

Peridot scrubbed the tears off her face from under her visor. "A joke..." Her voice dipped to a dangerously low tone and she dropped her head. "It was a joke..." Suddenly, her head whipped up, teeth bared with rage and her fists clenched as she yelled, "WHAT KIND OF JOKE WAS THAT?!"

Steven flinched. "I just-"

"You thought it'd be FUNNY to trick me into thinking you were dead?!"

Steven shook his head, getting more panicked by the moment. He tried to reach towards her. She backed up immediately. "No-no, I was just gonna pop up and scare you-"

"Well congratulations!" Peridot yelled and gave the child an angry shove. "Job well accomplished, you did scare me! How could you do that to me?! I really thought you..." Her eyes welled up again.

Steven felt horrible. This had been a stupid idea. He really felt like the worst person in the world right now. "I...I'm sorry." His eyes welled up as well and he reached to her again. A furious green hand batted him away.

"And you clods think I'm the one that doesn't understand humor!" Peridot shouted at him before turning step and racing back up the hill. Steven tried to chase after her.

"Wait—Peridot! Peridot, come back!" The boy untangled himself from the heap of broken metal and clambered up the grassy hill after her. "Peridot, I'm sorry!" The green gem darted into the opening of the barn doors and before Steven could reach it, she slammed the door shut.

Garnet was standing there in the midst of tools and blueprints, cleaning up some spare tools off the floor. She turned when she saw the green gem race into the barn. "Hello, Peridot. Did you and Steven have fun playing?"

"I HATE ALL OF YOU!" was all the gem received in response as Peridot grabbed one of the larger cardboard boxes and a marker. She furiously scribbled something on the outside of the box and then ducked under it.

Garnet set the tools down. For some reason she expected a response of that calibre more then she realized and she wasn't particularly surprised. Something had obviously set her off. But what was it? When she stepped up to the box she could see Peridot had crudely scribbled "KEEP OUT", and drew four faces that Garnet supposed were supposed to represent them. Calmly, the fusion knelt down next to the box.

"Knock, knock," she said as she tapped on the side of it. She gave a playful smile. "Is anyone home?"

"GO AWAY!" Peridot shouted from inside the box. "GET OUT OF HERE! Can't you read the sign, Permafusion? It says keep out!"

Garnet held her hands up in surrender. "Peridot, I just want to talk."

"I don't want to talk!"

Garnet leaned against the box, shifting it slightly. "You know I'm not going to leave until you let me in." There was silence from inside the box for the longest time, and then slowly, Peridot reached out and lifted the edge up. Two very upset eyes looked up at her. Garnet lifted the cardboard up until she could comfortably fit under it with the gem.

Peridot was turned away from her, hugging her knees and glaring in the other direction.

"Peridot, what's gotten you all upset?" Garnet asked gently. It wasn't hard to tell that something had badly angered the gem. It was funny considering Peridot was normally the one doing the offending.

"It's Steven! I hate Steven! I hate him! He...what's your stupid earth term...he SUCKS! He sucks and he's stupid—and!" Garnet stilled her gently by grabbing her shoulders.

"What did Steven do?" Garnet asked calmly.

"We saw some spare parts the drill didn't need, and for some reason Steven thought it would be entertaining to slide on them down the hill. It hardly looked fun to me. But he went down the hill and he crashed! And he just laid there-!"

Garnet massaged her temples. She knew where this was going...

"And he acted dead to 'joke' with me! He said he thought it would be funny! FUNNY! What kind of joke is that?! I'd like to hit him with that slab of metal-"

"That's enough," Garnet said quietly and firmly, wanting to calm this fire before it turned into an explosion. Peridot furiously spun away from her. "Now I understand... Steven hurt your feelings." She adjusted herself so she was sitting straight out with the small gem between her legs. "Peridot what Steven did was wrong, but you know he'd never try to hurt you." The small gem didn't respond. "Sometimes jokes go too far. Remember what happened with you and Amethyst?"

Peridot stuck her nose up into the air and tried to tune the gem out.

"Steven and Amethyst play pranks on each other a lot." Garnet sighed. "Sometimes I think they forget not everyone can deal with their humor. If he knows he hurt you I'm sure he feels terrible. You should give him a chance to apologize."

"I don't want to hear anything from him!"

Garnet pursed her lips slightly. She was a stubborn little thing, but Garnet should have known that already. It wasn't new to her. Ruby was stubborn as a mule. Her feud with Pearl didn't happen too long ago. Of course Peridot's situation was nothing compared to that, but it seemed like it had hurt her just as much.

"Friends fight, Peridot, and friends hurt each other." She smiled gently at the small gem. "Sometimes they don't even mean to do it but it happens. Even the best of friends hurt each other." She looked down at the scowling gemling, considering. "...Pearl hurt me once. It was shortly before you joined us, actually."

She didn't want to respond, but she was intrigued. "...What did she do?"

"Well..." Garnet leaned against the back of the box. "She lied to me and she deceived me into doing something with her. She tricked me into fusing with her instead of asking me or talking to me about it."

Peridot did turn to her then. Her mouth curled down in distaste. "So what?" she finally grumped. "Who cares? It's just fusion. Fusion is just meant to accomplish something, and it isn't even supposed to last as long as you make yours."

Garnet scowled, but she resisted the urge to snap at Peridot for her ignorant response. Peridot didn't understand fusion or what it meant to her. To the gemling it was still just a simple war tactic. "Fusion is a very personal thing to me, Peridot. Pearl knew that and she still did what she did. That's what hurt... It hurt me as bad as what Steven did to you. But I forgave her. I forgave her because I love her and I know she loves me. Just like I know Steven loves you, and you love him."

Immediately, the small gem stomped her foot and turned away again. "I don't love Steven! I hate him! I hate all of you clods! You all suck!"

Garnet huffed and crossed her arms. She was running out of options. Steven, when he wanted to could be just as stubborn, and it usually left her with just one alternative. "..." She smirked a little. "I think you need an attitude adjustment."

Peridot looked over her shoulder, wary at the look on Garnet's face and the way she was looming over her. "I don't need anything," she huffed. "Is sadness not allowed in The Crystal Gem's _happy_ world?"

"I think you just need to lighten up."

Peridot leaned away as Garnet grabbed for her and she screeched and tried to scramble out from under the box. Garnet dragged her back towards her, into her lap. She trapped the struggling gemling in between her legs and dug her fingers into her ribs.

"What are you doing?!" Peridot squealed. She batted aimlessly at the fusion's hands but it didn't deter Garnet. She tickled around Peridot's stomach and the gem immediately burst into giggles. "Stop it! Stop this—this horrible assault! Release me!"

Garnet grinned as the gemling laughed and squealed. She struggled against her, but as she was a gemling the size of a pea compared to her towering height, she didn't stand a chance. "Are you feeling any better now?"

"Of course not!" Peridot snapped out through her giggles. "I'm not going to be any happier just because you accost me into—EEP!" Garnet switched the target area to the bottom of the gemling's feet, and immediately that sent the poor gem to entirely new levels of laughter. It seemed Garnet found the weak spot. She kicked desperately in the air. "Plee-hee-heease!"

With the tiny gem's legs moving faster then a pin-wheel, Garnet gave a laugh of her own. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeeee-heees!" Immediately Garnet released the small gem, and she tumbled onto the barn floor, laughing. She grabbed her small feet in her hands, as if to protect them from any further assault. "That was a cheap tactic!"

"Just like my fusion?" Garnet joked. She poked one of the gem's toes and Peridot squealed and rolled away.

"Why must you clods play so unfair?"

Garnet shrugged. "It's fun. Are you ready to go talk to Steven now?"

"Why should I do that?"

"Because I'll tickle you again."

Immediately, Peridot threw the box off of them, scrambled to her feet, and made a mad dash to the door.

She stood against the outside of the barn and crossed her arms in annoyance. _Stupid Steven..._ She didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to see him. Her eyes rose up to look towards the top of the hill. And she couldn't help but deflate in guilt when she saw the small boy's hunched form.

"Darn clods," Peridot growled as she gave the barn a kick. "Making me.. _.feel_..." Huffing, the gem stormed away from the barn door and started to make her way towards the hill. The closer she got to Steven the more she could make out his sniffles.

 _Urghhh... "_ Hey," Peridot said quietly with a little wave. Steven stood up immediately and wiped his eyes.

"Peridot-! You're..." He sniffled. "Oh, I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings. I..." His guilt spilled out completely. "I didn't mean to upset you! I should have known better! I should have thought before I did something so stupid! I'm really sorry! I'm so stu-" Peridot shoved a finger against his lips.

"I forgive you," the green gem said simply, her face expressionless. Steven's mouth quivered as he threw his arms around her. After a moment, Peridot's arms came up around him.

"H-hey..." Steven sniffled. "You're actually hugging me back."

The gem scoffed. "As if I'd actually do that." Peridot suddenly dug her fingers into the boy's ribs. Steven yelped and buckled, laughing uncontrollably as his friend took him apart. He lowered to the ground and Peridot came with him, a wide maniacal grin on her face as she kept ruthlessly tickling.

"Haha!" she cackled. "It _does_ work on humans!"

Back at the barn, Pearl and Amethyst had come back and were watching the two wrestling and laughing. Garnet smirked as Steven got the upper hand and forced Peridot back into the dirt on her back as he sat on her stomach and tickled. She battled back just as fierce. Pearl and Amethyst just looked confused.

"Ahhhh-ha, Peridot stop! I'm gonna pee!"

"What got into those two?" Pearl asked, resting a hand on the drill. Garnet shrugged.

"I think Peridot is just learning how to get along with Steven."

"VENGEANCE WILL BE MINE YOU SQUISHY SQUIRMING CLOD!"


	4. Mother

"This stupid thing doesn't make any sense! Argh!" Peridot screeched as she threw several components for the drill on the ground. Pearl quickly drew back before they could slam into her feet.

"Watch it!" she hissed at the gemling. "You're going to break everything and then what will we have to work with?!" She gathered the parts delicately into her arms and wiped the dirt from them. "These are very delicate."

"No they're not!" Peridot yelled furiously, stomping a small green foot down onto the hill. "They're dirt! They're worse then dirt! Dirt would probably be more useful then these primitive little earth toys! The drill is going to BREAK the moment we switch it on!"

"Well it's going to break if you keep throwing everything!" Pearl snapped. Garnet lifted a welding helmet, adjusting her visor and sighing tiredly.

"I think you need to step back, Peridot. You're getting overwhelmed and frustrated."

"I am not!" Peridot hissed as she stormed right back to the drill, shoving Pearl aside. "How can I be expected to work in these conditions when what we're using is parts from a primitive earth machine used to heat up food?!"

"Well you don't HAVE to work with us you know," Amethyst griped, her usually long thread of patience becoming frayed. "We'd probably get more done without you here screaming like a banshee."

"Amethyst..." Garnet warned.

Luckily before the feud could escalate into bloodshed, they were interrupted by Steven. He came running towards them with his phone in his hands. "Guys! Guys! Sadie just called me! First of all, she said hello!"

"Hello," Garnet responded.

"She was wondering if I could come over and help her paint her room." He shuffled in the dirt. "I mean, it would only be for a little bit, like maybe an hour or so! I forgot I promised her a month ago..." He winced.

"Can't break a promise." Garnet immediately had an idea. "Steven, take Peridot with you." she ordered. The green gem's head snapped up immediately and her eyes radiated with anger and hurt.

"You're trying to get rid of me!?"

"No—no." Garnet bent down quickly to the gem's level and placed her hands on her knees. "Peridot right now you need to calm down," she told her. "And I think you'll be able to do that better if you step away. You're frustrated and you need to clear your head."

Peridot shoved back against the woman's knees. "I don't have to do any such thing! I'm fine and perfectly capable of working!"

"No you aren't!" Amethyst growled. "You're breaking things because you're so mad you screwed a nail in crooked!"

"Gems, I can handle this." The last thing the fusion wanted was for a full scale war to break out here and so far she seemed to be the only one that could calm the gemling down, be it a tantrum or a panic attack. "Peridot," Garnet's tone became slightly harder and the maternal look became stern. "You're going with Steven and this is non-negotiable."

"I refuse!" Peridot snapped back, at this point just being difficult for the sake of being difficult. "I'm not going to waste my time doing frivolous things with the Steven and his companions when I can be making progress here, and you can't make me!" Suddenly, Garnet's hand snapped down to grab her arm, no longer as gentle as it had been before, but firm with a very real underlying threat.

Garnet removed her visor so three stern eyes could look down at the gemling. "You're going with Steven."

Eye to eye with the "the look", Peridot nodded quickly. Hands reached behind her to cover her backside instinctively. "I'll go with Steven." The rest of the gems and child stared wide-eyed at Garnet, as if wondering where she had acquired these magic powers and how they could go about getting them too.

"Hey." Steven put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay, you'll love Sadie. She's one of my friends and I'm sure she'll really like you! We'll have fun. Okay?"

The gem snorted and crossed her arms. "Hmmph. Doubtful."

* * *

"I'm so glad you could make it Steven!" Sadie gushed as she swung open the door to embrace him tightly. "Like, I'm really, really glad you could come." She ran her hand through her golden curls sheepishly. "Interior decorating with Mom is always such a battle."

"Why's that?" Steven laughed.

"Well..." Sadie closed the door behind them. "We have pretty different opinions when it comes to this stuff. She wants my room to be all girly-girl and adorable with pinks and flowers, and I'm just not into that. But I don't want to bring it up to her."

"I guess I can help you with that," the boy chuckled. "It'll be nice to do a chore that's... a little more relaxing. And colorful!" He was about to take off his shoes when he remembered something. "Oh yeah! Sadie, I hope you don't mind but I brought a friend along with me. It was kind of a last minute idea..."

Sadie blinked. "Well sure, it's fine. I should probably let Mom know since she prepared lunch for just you and me." In stocking feet, Sadie ran down the hall towards the kitchen, and Steven heard her voice shout from the other room. "So is it Connie?"

"Uh no, not this time!" he shouted back, frantically searching out the open door for his friend. "She's kinda...a gem actually! Peridot!" he hissed around a bush. The green gem was on the lawn, just staring at a standee of a flamingo. "What are you doing?"

"What is this thing?" Peridot growled. "It's just standing there, staring at me! What do you want, you strange foreign creature?"

Steven sighed. "That's a flamingo. It's just a bird, like that blue jay you screamed at this morning when it landed on your head."

"Why is it so...still?" Shivers crawled up the green gem's spine as its dead black eyes stared at her. "Has it gone into a state of stasis? Is it...dead?"

A raspy laugh came from beside the gemling. "Haven't seen lawn ornaments often have you, kid?" Peridot squawked like the flamingo she was looking at and jumped behind Steven.

"Barb!" Steven chirped. He slapped the middle aged Mom a happy high five. "It's great to see you again!"

"You too kiddo!" The mail-woman crossed her arms over her chest as she looked down at the green thing hiding behind Steven. "I guess this is your friend Sadie was saying you'd have over! It's nice to meet you, kid! Name's Barb." She held out her hand, but Peridot didn't take it. "That's okay. Hey, I made you a sandwich too!"

"What is a...sandwich?" Peridot asked, trailing behind the group as they made their way inside. The table was set with four plates with sandwiches and carrot sticks, and a side of chocolate milk. Peridot frowned as the chattering humans sat down to the table. "What's going on? I thought we were doing some painting chore."

Steven pat his stomach. "Can't paint on an empty stomach." He was just about to devour his sandwich when he remembered something. "Oh, that's right. Sadie, Barb, this is Peridot. Peridot, Sadie and Barb!"

Uninterested, Peridot poked at her sandwich and tried to figure out what it was.

"Peridot, rude," Steven chastised, ignoring the way his friend hissed at him. "You should talk to them, that's the polite thing to do."

Pushing back her plate, the grumpy gemling crossed her arms. "Fine! Who are you and what do you want?" Steven slapped his palm to his face but Barb just laughed.

"I like her Steven. I'm Sadie's Mom and Sadie is my daughter." She pulled the chubby teen in for a side hug. "I deliver the mail in Beach City!"

Peridot tilted her head. "Mom? Daughter? What in the stars does _that_ mean?"

Sadie and Barb looked at each other. "Well uh, it means I'm her mother," Barb said. The confusion on the gem's face didn't change so she continued, "It means I delivered her. I'm the one that takes care of her! She's my daughter. My wittle baby," she cooed as she pinched her flushing girl's cheeks.

"Sorry guys," Steven said. "Peridot is really new to earth and she doesn't understand much about this planet. And gems aren't born the way humans are born." He looked over when he noticed she was trying to wear her sandwich. "And...they don't eat much either. No, Peridot...you're supposed to put it in your mouth."

Barb chuckled. "Well that's alright! We're used to weird around this city. See Peridot, on earth humans are made..." She paused as she considered the consequences of talking about _the birds and the bees._ "How old is she?"

Steven paused. "I don't really know."

"I'll just condense it then—uh, anyways! Humans, a male and a female, when they love each other, they...do a little dance...and make a baby!" Sadie's face fell to the table.

"Mom..."

"And the woman carries the child until its ready to be brought into the world, and she's the mother, and the man is the father!"

Peridot gave a slow nod. "So it's like Fusion?"

Steven was practically choking on his chocolate milk. "Something like that. See, my Mom gave herself up to give me life and my Dad is the one I told you about, the one that taught me about rain! That's what Barb is, a Mom. Do you get it now?" Peridot nodded, but Steven had a feeling she really didn't.

"How about we all just start painting my room?" Sadie suggested, her pale skin a few dark shades of red. Maybe she could stop her mom from embarrassing her more. "I want to see a new color when I look at my walls."

* * *

"Oh hey, it's your bear collection!" Steven exclaimed as he ran down the steps and dive bombed into the plush mountain of smiling teddies. "Wow it just seems to get bigger every day!"

"Heh..." Sadie flushed. "That's 'cause Mom pretty much _adds_ to it every day." She walked over and retrieved a bunch of paint cans sitting on her bed. "Well we should probably get started." She started to pry off the lid to the green when Barb's hand stopped her.

"What are you doing? I thought we were gonna paint it a nice hot neon pink!"

"No, uh..." Sadie chuckled nervously. "I think I want to try green this time." She felt herself shrink slightly in guilt at her mother's expression.

"But I bought that can for you. It's on sale too..."

"Barb," Steven reminded, recovering from his lay in the bears. "Come on, we went over this before remember? Besides, green looks like it might suit better." He held up one of the purple unicorns. "It'll compliment Sir Glimmer nicely too!"

Barb gave a resigned sigh as she picked up the can of pink, and gave Sadie a forgiving head ruffle. "Maybe you're right. I think pink would look better in my room anyway. Well!" She snapped open the jade colored paint. "Sades, you and Peridot get started on this side of the wall while Steven and I go get some more plastic wrap to paint-proof the rest of the room."

Sadie dipped her brush into the thick liquid. "Do you know how to paint?" she asked the green gem. "It's pretty easy, you just dip your brush in and slap it on the wall. Make sure you catch the drips though." Peridot had gone quiet. "Are you okay? You look kinda troubled."

The gemling glanced back at the staircase, where Steven and Barb had gone. "I just...I still don't understand. What is a Mom?"

"Oh, we already explained it to you." Sadie started stroking up the walls, layering them with green. "A Mom is who carries the-"

"No I know that!" Peridot snapped. "But after that, what is the function? What is the point? You've already been born so why is she still sticking around?"

Sadie laughed. "Well a Mom's job doesn't just _end_ when they give birth! There's still the rest of their life to go." She put down the brush and sat on the carpet, inviting the gemling to sit next to her. "A Mom...it means a lot of different things to many people. But, they're basically the one that takes care of you. They're the first person in the world to love you before anyone else." She smiled. "They love you even before you're born."

"But if you haven't been born yet how could they know they love you?" the gem asked. "They don't even know who you are."

Sadie laughed. "Maybe not...but you're still their child. You're a part of them. You can be a Mom without even giving birth."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Peridot snapped. "I thought the whole purpose of the Mom was to give birth! How can you be one without having done that?"

"A Mom is someone who takes care of you," Sadie said. "And...they don't have to have given birth to you. They love you unconditionally. They're the one that comforts you when you're hurt, or if you wake up crying from a nightmare." Suddenly, Peridot's breath ceased. "They cheer you up when you're sad, they yell at you when you're bad." Her cheeks went pink as she hugged her knees, looking longingly to the staircase. "They make you lunches for school, or work... And no matter how much you screw up, they always love you."

Peridot stared at her with wide shimmering eyes, for once at full alert. Her cheek rested against her knee. "Do they...order you around a lot?"

Sadie laughed. "Yeah, kinda. But they only really do it because they want the best for you. Even if they annoy you, whatever they're doing is only out of love."

 _"You're trying to get rid of me!?"_

Sadie leaned against the wall and looked over at the silent gemling. "I'm sorry, this is probably a lot to take and you probably don't even understand."

"No..." Peridot's voice was very quiet. "I think I do..."

"We got the plastic wrap!" Barb shouted as hers and Steven's feet thundered down the steps. "Now let's wrap up the rest of this room like a Christmas present! Oh Sadie—what happened to your shirt?!"

"Huh?!" Sadie jolted up and only now felt the thick heavy wetness of paint from where she had sat against the wall. She flushed. "Oh jeez."

"Geez, girl!" Barb laughed as she came over with a roll of paper towel and started to wipe at the paint. "What would you do without me?"

"Oh I'm not that helpless Mom!" Sadie giggled as she impishly grabbed some paint and dabbed it on her mother's nose. Peridot just sat there watching as mother and daughter giggled and played, her green eyes shining with curiosity.

* * *

Sunset fell and blanketed the grassy hills in its orange beams. The gems lay in the grass, having completed all they wanted for the day.

"We got a lot done," Amethyst yawned."

"We did," Pearl agreed. "Although I hate to say it, but, we may have gotten more done with Peridot. I hope she and Steven had fun."

"We did!" a voice came from behind them. The three turned to see Steven and Peridot. Both were splattered with green paint and their outfits were also effectively ruined. Somehow they had even managed to get some in their hair.

"Oh my!" Pearl laughed, coming over to Steven and examining his dirty face. "I should say you did. We're going to have to wash this right away to get the stains off." She wriggled the boy's shirt off and started scrubbing his face with paper towel.

"Peridot, come here," Garnet called, a smile of amusement on her lips. Somehow the gemling had seemed to have gotten herself even dirtier. "You can't go back into the house like that. We're going to have to give you a bath." She tore a few pieces off the roll herself and scrubbed at the gemling's face. "Right now we can at least clean that visor of yours." She rubbed off the paint and readjusted the gemling's visor. "There. Better?"

"Yes." Peridot nodded. "It is. Thank you Mother Garnet."

Immediately Garnet dropped her paper towel and every head turned to look at them both, wide eyed and shocked. The address pulled the words and air right out of her and the fusion did a double take, making a few sounds with her lips until she finally managed, "What did you just say?"

"Mother Garnet," Peridot repeated. She looked slightly apprehensive.

Garnet shook her head and let go of the gem's shoulder. "Peridot, I'm not..." But when she looked into the young gem's wide eyes, she trailed off.

"Did I...did I say something wrong?" Peridot asked worriedly. Her eyes grew wider and she twiddled her fingers nervously.

"...No," Garnet finally responded. She picked up the crumpled paper towel and tossed the roll into the grass. "I just wanted to make sure I heard you the first time. You're full of paint, Peridot, and you need a bath." She put an arm around Peridot to propel her along.

Walking along obediently, Peridot suddenly dipped her finger into some paint on her shirt and jumped up, wiping it impishly onto the startled woman's nose.


	5. Brother

Peridot stared at the porcelain tub in front of her brimming with hot liquid. Garnet had filled the tub and told her to undress and step into it before she left. The gemling hugged herself apprehensively. Truthfully, she had never been out of her uniform before. Even when gems were cleaned, it was a quick roll on a conveyor belt through an aggressive spray of water, and then another roll over to the heat chambers, where the droplets would dry.

"It shouldn't be too hard," she reassured herself with a scoff. She was making a big deal out of nothing. Carefully, the gemling eased her uniform over her backside and let it pool to her feet. "Now I just...step into the water."

Eying the steaming tub with trepidation, she stepped into it. It felt nice and warm as it covered her legs, and once she sat down, the rest of her body. "Mmm..." She let off a pleasant hum, practically nuzzling into the warmth. Garnet had laid out some soap for her and shampoo for her hair. "I suppose I scrub myself with...this?" She picked up the bar, and her eye wandered up to the shower head.

"That's strange looking...what does that do?" Curious, Peridot fiddled with the temperature dial and turned on the shower head. Immediately, she was blasted with scalding water. "OW!" Peridot yelped. She fell back against the bottom of the tub as the water continued to burn her. "OW! OW! Stop!" the gemling shouted. "I COMMAND YOU!"

The shower head of course did not obey the gem's wishes. Every attempt Peridot made to reach in enough to touch the dials again was just met with another burn. "OW!" No matter where she went in the tub, she was getting burned. "Owow!"

Standing outside the bathroom door, Garnet jumped at hearing the commotion and a frantic banging sound. Forgetting that she had left the door unlocked, Garnet instinctively kicked through the door—literally, and bolted to the tub.

Poor Peridot was underneath the water with her eyes wide with fear, staring at the ripples of the shower spray on the surface. Garnet had to chuckle as she turned off the water and pulled the gemling back up. "What are you doing?"

"It was this thing!" Peridot accused, pointing at the traitorous shower head. "It burned me! Stupid...hose thing!"

"You didn't even need the shower head, Peridot. The water was already run."

"Well how was I supposed to know that?!" Peridot snapped, grumpily crossing her arms. She made a small disapproving sound as Garnet started to rub shampoo into her hair. "What are you doing?"

"I'm here already," the fusion shrugged. "And I don't trust you to not mistake the shampoo for some sort of eye cleaner."

Peridot pouted and sat there with crossed arms, hissing like an irritated kitten as Garnet dumped water over her head. Without her visor, uniform, and with her pointy hair now matted to her shoulder, she looked like an entirely different person. "Why does Steven have these bath things so often?"

Garnet chuckled as she washed green paint off the gemling's face. "Humans are different then gems, Peridot. If they don't take baths or showers in a certain time frame their body excretes this odor that we don't get. They're stinky creatures—especially the babies."

The small gem made a face and winced her eyes shut as Garnet poured another cup of water over her already damp hair and rubbed more of the slimy cream into it. Peridot's crumpled face of discomfort started to soften at the soothing rub to her scalp. Against her own dignity's orders, the gemling sunk against Garnet's arm and shut her eyes. A rumble sounded from her throat. A purr.

The noise and position the gem was in was so endearing to Garnet she almost didn't want to interrupt it, but that soap needed to come out of the little gem's hair. So regretfully, she tipped the water over Peridot's head.

Spluttering and wiping her eyes, the gemling splashed in the water and coughed. "So...are you completely certain it's okay if I refer to you as Mother?"

Garnet paused in mid-scrub, considering. "...What made you want to?"

"'Cause that's what you are, aren't you?" The gemling threw her arms out as if the question was completely obvious. "You're the nurturer that provides the love and comfort for Steven, and...and myself. You've comforted me after that horrible earth nightmare, instilled lessons upon me, even punished me embarrassingly like an earth child. I'm surprised Steven doesn't refer to you as Mother."

Garnet dried her hands off, her expression becoming tight.

"Why doesn't he?" Peridot washed congealed paint from her arm. "It seems disrespectful for him not to. You take care of him, the least he could do is reciprocate by calling you what you are, and that is what you are to him."

"Steven has a mother." Garnet's voice became harder. "And I'm not it. You can't force someone to call you Mother. And I would never take that title from Rose."

"But Rose is gone!" the gem exclaimed. "She wouldn't know the difference! It's not your problem that she didn't stay to be his Mother."

"She did what was best for him!" Garnet suddenly snapped, dropping the sponge and causing it to make a large splash as it impacted the water. "She did what was best for all of us, especially Steven! I'm not going to take what belonged to her!"

Sensing she had hit a nerve, Peridot shrunk back into the tub and bit her lip. "...Sorry," she whispered.

Garnet's anger melted immediately. "No...I am." She lifted the gemling from the water and swaddled her in a warm towel. "It isn't your fault you don't understand. But you can't tell someone to call you Mother if they aren't ready. Steven knows he has a mother, we're just his caretakers."

Peridot poked her head out of the fortress of towels. "But if he _were_ to address you as 'Mother', would you let him call you it?"

Garnet sat there staring outwardly to the wall as she rubbed the gemling dry. "I...I suppose I don't know," she admitted. It was quiet for a moment and then the fusion smirked. "But I guess in a sense Steven is like a son to me—that would make you both siblings. You'd be his sister."

"Siblings? Sister?"

"It's the human term for when a Mother has more then just one offspring. They're related; if it's a boy it's a brother, and if it's a girl it's a sister."

Peridot shook her head. "Confusing." She stood on one of the towels, curious as Garnet picked up a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. They were white with alien heads on it. "What is that?"

"Clothes," Garnet responded. "They'll be your pajamas." At the gem's confused look she clarified, "Sleeping clothes. Night clothes." She pulled the night shirt over Peridot's head and slipped the shorts up her legs. In small silky pajamas with bare feet and mussed wet hair, she looked just like a child. She scooped Peridot up and opened the bathroom door.

Sitting on the couch, the rest of the gems were stunned to see Garnet carrying a freshly cleaned Peridot. Steven smiled at them. He was in his pajamas too. "You look all clean and happy!"

"I feel warm," Peridot responded. "And strange." She pulled at the garments clinging to her skin. "Are you in your sleeping wear too, sibling Steven?"

The gems gasped but Steven grinned obliviously. "Yep! It's my—wait, what? Sibling Steven?"

Garnet's eyes widened and she stared down at Peridot. "Yes, sibling Steven," Peridot repeated. "Or perhaps I should say _Brother_ Steven."

"Brother?" Steven tilted his head. "Brother?" Then his eyes shone with stars. He grabbed Peridot's arms and whispered excitedly, "Sister... Sister...I have a sisterr!" He jumped up and down. "I've always wanted a sibling! I have a sisterrr!" He turned to the gems and they forced on tense smiles.

"That's wonderful Steven," Pearl said sweetly. Then to Garnet she issued a tense look. "Can we talk?"

The fusion shrugged. She already knew what was coming and she was already prepared for it as the three of them walked behind the counter, out of earshot.

"Are you out of your mind?" Amethyst hissed at Garnet. "First of all, letting her call you Mommy?"

"She doesn't call me Mommy, she calls me Mother," Garnet corrected simply.

"And to let her call Steven her brother?!" Pearl exclaimed. "Garnet, she's a Homeworld gem! A Homeworld gem! Do you really think she'd switch sides, just like that? Don't you consider the possibility that she could be manipulating you?"

"No," Garnet immediately responded, her tone hardening more. "I don't."

"This isn't good, you can't fool yourself into thinking that any of this is a good idea!" Pearl spluttered. "She was trying to kill us, trying to kill this planet, less then two weeks ago! Your relationship with Peridot-"

"Is none of your concern," Garnet suddenly retorted icily.

Pearl and Amethyst were taken aback by the bite to Garnet's tone. They looked at each other. "Well," Pearl began. "It is if it affects this team-"

"And has it?" she demanded. "Has it affected our ability to function as a team? Has it affected our ability to protect this planet and Steven? Other then having an extra presence around, has something been so incredibly altered that I don't know about?"

"I..." Pearl shrunk back against the counter under the barrage of questions. "Well," she stammered. "I suppose not-"

"Then stay out of it." Garnet left it at that and walked briskly out of the kitchen and back into the family room. It had fallen to dusk and the sunset tinge of the sky was replaced with twilight and appearing stars. Peridot and Steven perched against the couch back, dozy looking and slightly bored. She looked from the kids to the two angry looking gems.

"I feel like our last slumber party wasn't very successful," Garnet decided, looking from child to child. "How about trying another? I think we all deserve it after the work we've done."

"A slumber party?" Peridot asked, tilting her head.

"It's a party where everyone usually sleeps in the same room, but at a real slumber party there's no sleeping 'cause you're just partying so much!" Steven chirped.

"There's going to be sleeping," Garnet warned playfully, poking the boy in his belly. "We'll all sleep. And dream about what our life will be like after we finally destroy The Cluster."

"I'm so excited!" Steven chirped. He jumped up from the couch and bolted upstairs, thumping back down with something in his hands. "I've been waiting for us all to be together and actually relaxing to watch this!" He pushed it in Garnet's hands.

She stared at it. It had an alien on the cover, standing on the planet earth. _"Invasion Of The Aliens That Look Like Kidney Beans."_ She stared at Steven. "Really? With everything we're going through now you want to watch more things about aliens?"

"It's really cool!" He gave an excited hop. "It's got this awesome twist ending that everyone has gotta see!"

Pearl shrugged. "Well..." She examined the cover, scoffing at the illustration. "If anything it will be amusing to watch a human's rendition of what they think aliens are like and how incredibly inacurate it will likely wind up being."

Garnet smiled. "Then first thing is first, pajamas." She looked at Pearl and Amethyst expectantly.

"What do you expect me to do?" Pearl scowled. "I don't have pajamas."

"I know," Garnet said simply, a smirk on her lips. "Reform into some."

Pearl gaped. "Regenerating is a serious process that we only use when we need to!" she exclaimed. "And I don't think that a slumber party qualifies for that." But the rest of the gems stared at her expectantly, and Pearl gave a begrudging huff and stomped to the door.

"Whoo!" Amethyst cheered, running towards the temple door as Garnet calmly walked behind. "I'm gonna go get my purple CAT pajamas!"

Steven jumped up and down on the couch once the rest of the gems had gone. "This is going to be so cool!" he chirped excitedly as a confused Peridot watched on. "I have a whole list of stuff for us to do! I found it on my phone." He pulled the gadget from his pocket and flicked his finger over the touch screen. "The three ideal things to do during a slumber party! Number one, popcorn!"

Peridot watched as her 'brother' made a mad dash to the pantry in the kitchen and pulled out a plastic bag labelled 'Pop-It' popcorn. "Check! We'll eat that while we watch the movie! But..." He turned the package over. "I guess we'll have to do it the old fashioned way since destroyed the microwave."

Peridot stared as Steven emptied a bunch of pellet-like things into a large pot. She picked one up between her fingertips, examining it. "What...is it? It doesn't look very filling." She leaned into the pot, watching as the kernels trembled in sizzling oil...

 _Pop!_ Popping into a large fluffy piece of food, it pinged into the gemling's face. Immediately, Peridot reared back with a screech and jumped into a battle-ready position. "This 'popcorn' just lobbed a projectile at me!" she shrieked.

Steven started laughing. "No Peridot, that's what popcorn does! It's how it forms—ow!" A piece shot into his eye and he covered it. "Although...it's doing it more then usual. Ow-ow!"

"We're under attack!" Peridot shrieked and she dove underneath the counter with Steven, covering her face. "Ow! Ow! Back, you popcorn!"

The pot exploded like a deadly salty grenade, shooting pieces of popcorn out in every direction as fast and loud as repeating gunshots. They hit the floor, the wall, the windows.

"Cease! Desist!" Peridot ordered, grabbing a metal lid off the ground and holding it up protectively in front of them. "Are we gonna die?"

"What a way to go," Steven half groaned, half giggled. "Delicious, salty, buttery death..." He held the pot lid further up over his head to protect them, and suddenly it was grabbed out of his hand.

"I think it would help if you put the lid on the pot," Garnet advised, slamming the pot lid down on the boiling popcorn. Muffled pops came from inside. Steven grinned at the gem's pajamas. "Nice choice."

Her visor was gone, replaced with a sleeping mask that was fastened around her head. She wore large pink pillow pants and a pink t-shirt that read "Hot Mama" with blue flames leaping around the edges of it. The back of her shirt was blue and read "Cool Mama." "I figured I may as well look the part."

"Alright, I'm here," Pearl huffed as she fluffed her choice of sleep wear. A dainty and delicate little blue nighty that went down just past her thighs. "Let's get this over with."

"Aw come on P!" Amethyst chuckled. "Don't be like that! Be excited!"

Pearl scoffed. "And what are you supposed to be wearing?" The purple gem had on a pair of obnoxiously fuzzy purple pajamas, so much fuzz that it was shedding all over the carpet.

"Duh? They're cat pajamas! Purple cat pajamas." Amethyst hugged her fuzzy self and rubbed the soft fibers against Pearl. "Merrow."

Steven grinned. "So can we officially call this slumber party to a start now that we're all pajama'ed up, and survived the possible popcorn-copalypse?"

The gems exchanged looks and shrugged their shoulders. Garnet smiled. "Yes, I think we can start the...party."

"Okay-okay!" Steven was already grabbing things from his room and bolting back down the stairs with them. Markers and tape fell from his hands and clinked to the steps below. "So first on the list! Twisterrrr!" He lifted a large white parchment of paper and the four colored markers.

"What's Twister?" Peridot made a face, watching as Steven scribbled colored spots onto the white paper. "Do these colored circles serve for some meaning?"

"Yeah," Steven said. "The person with the spinner calls out colors and where you have to put your feet or hands and you have to try and twist your body in that position." He grinned. "It gets pretty funny, especially playing with other people. It's second on the list of fun things to do! I can be the spinner person!"

The gems all looked at each other, not quite understanding the game but certainly not wanting to hurt Steven's feelings. "Alright, how do we go about doing it?" Garnet asked, stepping over to the large sheet of paper.

"Garnet, right foot blue."

The fusion extended a foot towards one of the blue spots and looked to Steven for clarification.

"Pearl, left hand green..."

* * *

Within the next ten minutes the room was filled with strenuous groans of discomfort from the tangled mess of limbs sprawled out over the Twister mat. Every one of the gems were twisted into pretzel-like positions and even Garnet looked to be straining to keep upright. Poor Peridot was tucked under Amethyst's large stomach, her limbs about to give way.

Steven snorted out a giggle through his fingers, trying to keep the rest from fizzling out. "Amethyst, right foot red."

Amethyst groaned. "Oh I don't know dude. I don't think my foot can stretch any further. ...Wait, duh!" she snorted. "Of course it can!" The gem on her chest glowed a violet hue, and her foot stretched like a rubber band, out to the last red spot on the rim of the mat.

"Hey!" Pearl snapped. "You're cheating!"

"Oh come on, you can do it too!"

"Well fine then!" Pearl huffed. "If you're going to cheat..." Her ballet leg suddenly stretched out completely, over Garnet's head for the toe to touch a spot on the other side of the mat. Her other arm looped underneath Amethyst's legs to reach a green spot.

Garnet scoffed. "Child's play." The other gems gaped as she extended her arms to the length of the room, looping one around the couch, the table, and then settling it on one of the spare spots. You could barely make anything out on the mat by this point but tangled, noodle-like limbs.

"Guys!" Steven laughed. "This isn't how you play!"

"Yeah but this is how you play GEM TWISTER!" Amethyst roared. "Come on, what else do you guys got?!"

Amidst the laughter and friendly competition, Peridot looked around at her companions. She shut her eyes and focused with all her might, but the triangular stone on her face remained entirely unresponsive. Her mouth trembled despondently and she had just begun to crawl off the mat when Garnet's hand snatched her up and plopped her on her back.

"Let's be the sole survivor," Garnet said up to the small gem. She narrowed her eyes on their first purple target and looked up at Peridot. One of her hands formed into a playfully wiggling claw. Peridot grinned and climbed up onto the fusion's head, leaning over and stretching towards Amethyst. Her small green fingers scrabbled against the pudgy gem's side.

"Ack!" Amethyst squealed. She backed up as far as she could go, bumping into Pearl. Her elastic body pulled back desperately, trying to get out of the range of the deadly tickles. "Knock it off!" she cackled. Garnet stretched forward so Peridot could dig in more and Amethyst fell back against Pearl laughing.

"Watch it, you oaf! You're going to knock me over!"

"It's not me, it's the green termite!" Amethyst scrambled to get away and tripped over the arch of Pearl's back, falling backwards. Reflexively, her arms shot out for leverage, and she yanked Pearl down on top of her. The action had an instant domino effect as Pearl grabbed onto Garnet and both the fusion and the gemling went sprawling into the mess. The group blinked and instantly burst into laughter.

"Well!" Garnet hoisted the confused Peridot over her head to grin at her. "We were the last ones standing!"

"Congratulations to Hot Mama and her gem baby!" Steven cheered, clapping his hands together. He hefted a large fuzzy quilt towards the two. "And the prize is the comfiest blanket to snuggle up in when we're watching the movie!"

Peridot clawed the fuzzy blanket away from her face. "What's snuggling mean?"

Garnet grinned. "I'll show you while we're watching the movie."

* * *

The gem family sat squished together on the couch with crumpled blankets, bowls of popcorn and drinks. Peridot poked her head out from under the fuzzy blanket both her and Garnet were wrapped up in as she sipped slowly from a pink silly straw. "The bubbles are making my tongue tingle."

"Yeah!" Steven laughed. "It's supposed to. That's what pop does. It's pretty cool, huh?" He tipped some of his into the gem's glass. "Try some of mine! Mixing pop is really fun, and really tasty."

Pearl looked over at the questionable green jar that Amethyst was drinking out of. "Amethyst, what are you drinking?"

"Pickle juice."

"Eugh!" Pearl's light blue face seemed to tint green for a moment as she shook her head and turned back to the screen. The kidney bean shaped aliens were firing lasers around the cities. "Ugh, lasers. How more cliché can you get?"

"Well lasers are commonly used on Homeworld," Peridot explained. "But Pearl is right, that isn't all we have. There's a whole different range of weapons depending on who the gem is."

Amethyst made a face. "And why is Bean lima bean shaped when the rest are kidney bean shaped? Why is Bean different?"

"Well that's the point," Steven said. "Bean is supposed to be different then all the other aliens and that's why he feels like he doesn't belong..."

Peridot suddenly stopped sipping her pop and stared at the screen, only now really paying attention to what was happening.

 _Shuttles flew through the burning city as an army of kidney shaped beans descended from the opening of the ships into the flames and other aliens._

 _"Come on!" Bean shouted as he herded his human friend toward an alley away from the rest of the invading aliens. "You'll be safe here."_

 _The human boy shook his head. "But I don't understand why you're saving me! Isn't your kind trying to destroy us?"_

 _"We are," the alien admitted. "Or, they are. But the truth is...I don't really want to."_

Peridot's eyes widened and she pushed aside the blankets, climbing off the couch to sit next to Steven.

 _"You don't?" Bungey asked. "But that's what you were sent here to do."_

 _"I know what I was supposed to do," Bean said quietly. "But I'm not even like the rest of my kind is. I don't even fit in with them. Look at them all, they're all an opposite shape. I'm different then they are..."_

Peridot's green eyes didn't even move from the screen she was fixated on. But Steven watched as she reached up slowly with her hand and touched her unresponsive gem. She moved until she was blocking the entire screen.

"Yo Dot!" Amethyst griped. "I'd like to actually watch the—huh?" Pearl suddenly silenced her by putting a hand on her arm. She said nothing, but she jerked her head slightly to Peridot's direction.

 _"I don't belong with them. I don't want to hurt your planet..." Bean's green head dropped, large tears making their way down his face. "I just want to be happy. I want to be where I'd fit in and I can't even find it. I'm not a real Beanian...but I'm not a human either. I don't know where my home is."_

A sound escaped Peridot's throat as a noise shuddered from her chest and up her entire core. She clutched the ground with her fingertips and the picture of the crying alien in front of her distorted with her tears as her vision turned to water.

Garnet switched off the tv. "It's past midnight," she told Steven. "Time for you to sleep."

Steven didn't protest at the movie ending prematurely and he just looked at Peridot. They all looked at Peridot.

"...Peridot," Pearl began quietly, but the moment her name was said the gemling bolted from the spot and up the stairs.

"I...if she had just finished the rest of the movie she would have seen that Bean found a place where he belonged on earth with Bungey," Steven said quietly. "And learned he didn't...have to be human to belong with earth."

Garnet put a hand on his shoulder. "Sounds like you should go tell her that then."

"Isn't this more a job for the mother?" Steven wondered.

Garnet winked. "No...I think it's more of a job for a brother."

* * *

"Peridot!" Steven climbed up the stairs. It was so dark that only the moonlight outlined the edges of the room, and the contours of the shaking, balled up gem on his bed. "Peridot...are you okay?"

"Go away Steven," the gemling muffled out through a thick sniffle. "Just leave me alone."

But Steven didn't, of course. Instead he got down on his hands and knees so he was at level with her on the bed. And without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

Peridot didn't lift her face from her arms or move an inch, but the sobbing grew until she finally lifted her soaked face to bury it into the boy's shoulder. "I don't belong anywhere."

Steven tightened the embrace and smoothed his fingers through her mint green hair. It was still wet from her bath. "You didn't even stay to see the rest of the movie..."

The gemling shoved away from him and turned back to the window. "I didn't want to see the rest of the movie! It implied exactly what I felt, and what I know I am." Her scowl melted back into heartbreak as the tears filled her eyes again. "An outsider..." She moved to climb off the bed but Steven caught her wrist gently.

"But if you had stayed to see the end then you would have seen that Bean found where he belonged."

"And where was that?" she snapped. "In a garbage dump?"

"No..." Steven smiled. "With his friend Bungey and Bungey's family. Bean's new family." The gem looked at him questionably through her tears. "They start their own business too! A chilidog business, because Bean liked the taste of the one Bungey gave him so much." He grabbed both of Peridot's hands. "Bean belonged with the people that loved him, just like you do. I promise, I can help you belong."

Peridot scoffed, but a little smile formed through her tears. She wiped her eyes. "Why would you do that? You have much bigger things to worry about right now...we all do."

Steven giggled. "'Cause that's what friends...no..." His shoulders shrugged up shyly as his cheeks turned pink. "That's what...a brother does." Peridot stared at him and he reached over to his nightstand, rummaging around for something.

"I was gonna save this for me and Connie, but I think Connie has enough necklaces." He cupped something in his hand, scooting back to her. "And I can get her something way cooler at the arcade anyway." When he unfurled his hands Peridot could see...two very strange semi-circle things attached to a silver chain.

"...What's that?"

"Donuts!" Steven chirped, pointing to the painted on frosting and sculpted sprinkles. "Half of a donut, and you take the other half. They're best friend necklaces. See, as long as you have one and I have one it means our bond will never break." He picked up a permanent marker. "But with a few scribbles I can make it even more meaningful." He wrote "Sister" on one half and "Brother" on the other. "Now they're sibling necklaces!" He unfastened hers and clipped it around her neck, doing the same with his. "Now as long as we both wear one it means we'll never stop being brother and sister...no matter what."

Peridot touched the small charm in awe and ran her fingers over the fresh writing on it. She still didn't understand what in the stars a 'donut' was...but she did understand the implied meaning to it. Warmth like nothing she had ever felt flooded her heart. "Sister..." She smiled. "So what comes next in this sleepover thing?"

Steven yawned and chuckled. "Sleep is what. I don't know about you but I'm really tired..." The two looked over the railing where they could see Pearl and Amethyst on opposite ends of the couch asleep. Garnet was standing there in front of the couch. She looked up at them and quietly formed a heart between her fingers.

Steven beamed and made one right back. Confused, Peridot repeated the action and sent Garnet a puzzled look for clarification. Garnet only winked and pulled her mask down over her eyes, joining the pile on the couch.

"Sleep is the last thing on the list," Steven yawned, settling under the covers. He looked at his sister and pulled back a fold of the blankets, patting the spot beside him. Peridot crawled in next to him and wasn't particularly surprised when the boy pulled her close again, arms folding over her. "Good-night Peridot..."

Peridot looked down at the necklace and squeezed it tenderly in her hand. Her other hand timidly draped over where his arms connected around her waist. "Good-night Steven..."


	6. Discovery

_(A/N: Wow, wow. I can't even believe the reception this fic has gotten. I seem to be getting new reviews by the day, private messages, even friends through it! It's all so amazing. This fic is well on its way to getting as many reviews as Shattered Realities-at only like five chapters?_

 _So that being said, with encouragement from some lovely reviewers and also stuff I've been mulling over myself, I've decided to add some dynamics to this story I wasn't going to add, and characters as well. The main focus is still going to stay on Peridot and her development with her family but I think I might change the summary a bit. To any "Shattered Realities" readers, this is in a completely different universe since Peridot i_ _s an adult in that one, harvested thousands of years ago. Don't worry guys, put trust in me as your writer 'cause this is gonna be great. If anything be excited because this means the length has also lengthened incredibly too. I really need to stop making "one-shots", they don't stay oneshots. *staring pointedly at Shattered Realities* )_

* * *

 _Jasper cursed with rage as the signal from Homeworld rang through the main control room. Like she knew how to activate this techy machinery. "Damnit, just a minute!" she hollered, only now realizing that there was no possible way anyone on Homeworld could hear that. But Peridot and Lapis could and were probably wondering who in the stars she was talking to._

 _Flushing in an embarrassed rage, she slammed down her fist on one of the buttons. "What I wouldn't give to have my own Pearl to know what the hell to do here." She had been offered one, but told Yellow Diamond she had no use for a pretty droid-toy._

 _Yellow pixelated diamonds rose into the air and formed into a communicator. It hovered in front of her, projecting the large, towering form of her superior. Immediately Jasper gave the customary 'diamond salute' with her fingers. "My Diamond, I'm sorry it took me so long to get back to you."_

 _Yellow Diamond's face remained cold and impassive. "How has your mission been thus far, General Jasper?"_

 _"Oh, uh, good..." She mentally face palmed. "I mean, so far, My Diamond, we haven't managed to find a worm hole to transport us closer to the earth, unfortunately, so we still have about ten days to travel. Perhaps more. I...I'd have to get Peridot for the specifics."_

 _The monarch nodded, boredly typing something into the system. "And the prisoner?"_

 _"Still in her cell, still annoying."_

 _Yellow Diamond nodded and crossed her enormous legs over each other. She suddenly spun to the screen completely, her full attention on Jasper. The normally stoic warrior herself couldn't help but feel smaller and helpless under the gaze, especially since she knew what was going to be asked next before Yellow Diamond even said it._

 _"And the Peridot?"_

 _"The Peridot has set the coordinates for Earth," Jasper responded automatically. "And she-" But she was cut off immediately as the monarch abruptly slammed her giant fist against the keyboard, causing the transmission to briefly distort._

 _Yellow Diamond leaned in so her sharp golden orbs were all that Jasper saw. "Don't play mind games with me, General. You know what I'm referring to. How is her gem? What is the status of it? Has it shown any sign, any progress at all?"_

 _"Well..." Jasper bit down on her tongue. It would do no good to lie. She knew they were being monitored and if Yellow Diamond so pleased she could look at the security footage. "...No My Diamond. Peridot's gem still won't activate."_

 _"I assumed as much. It's been months now since her harvest." Yellow Diamond turned around in the hovering lounge chair to file out a report on her screen. Jasper felt a cold chill run through her when she looked at what it said: "Recycling Facility."_

 _"My Diamond, there is still time. She's a newborn gem, remember."_

 _"There is no time," Yellow Diamond said coldly. "No time and no use for a defect. Once this mission is complete you will present her gem to the Recycling Facility. Inform the Peridot that this will be her last mission. Hopefully if we grind her up we can make more use out of her to put into one of the pods in the Kindergarden."_

 _"My Diamond." Jasper's voice became hard with desperation, and there was almost a pleading edge to it. "Just give her until this mission. I'm sure by the time we've reached that miserable rock her gem will have activated."_

 _Yellow Diamond's scowl became even more malicious. "Well for her sake, I hope so. And for yours as well."_

 _Jasper nodded. "I understand, My Diamond." She sighed. "General Jasper out..." The connection dispersed, and the large gem fell against the back of her chair in defeat. She ran a hand through her hair in distress and shut her eyes._

 _"I'm going to be recycled, aren't I?" came a quiet voice from the door. Jasper spun around in the chair to see a certain intrusive little green thing that had obviously heard every word._

 _"Eavesdropping little brat," the woman growled. "And NO, you aren't going to be recycled because you're not defected! No gem in my care is defected."_

 _Peridot gave a small, sad little smile. Jasper hated how accepting it looked. "Jasper, it's been months now. You know as well as I do that if a gem that's been harvested within three months still isn't showing progress then...they are likely never going to."_

 _"Shut up!" Jasper growled. "You're not defected, you're just...late." She scratched the back of her head uncomfortably. "Really late." Her head fell forward slightly for a moment, battling the denial and refusing to admit what they knew was the truth. "We'll get you working. No one on this ship is being broken as long as I have something to say about it..."_

 _"You can't go against our Diamond..."_

 _"I don't have to!" Jasper snapped. "Because we're getting that gem of yours working when we get to that stupid planet." She grinned. "And if you've mastered your weapon by that point, maybe I'll let you take on the traitors when we reach the planet." She ruffled the gem's hair until the pointed diamond became a scattered mess. Jasper turned back to the control panel and her expression turned crestfallen again._

 _"I just don't understand why you need your gem to function if they've already loaded you up with all that techy crap to compensate for it." She gestured to Peridot's limb enhancers and arm canons._

 _"Because it's the law, Jasper," Peridot told the large gem simply. "Defected gems are recycled and put back into the earth or used for parts." Saying this she refused to let the fear she felt deep down surface and pushed back the tears that threatened to brim. Jasper always said real gems didn't cry...but she wasn't a real gem anyway. "I'm sure they'd pair you up with a better Peridot in the future. There's hundreds of me."_

 _Jasper didn't respond, but her fists clenched until her knuckles turned white, and the scowl on her face deepened in frustration and pain. Peridot dared to venture close enough to lean her head tiredly and comfortingly on the giant's large arm._

* * *

Peridot sat up in the bed and rubbed her eyes. Steven's arms were still wrapped tightly around her and she detached them. She almost didn't want to, but she didn't even feel worthy of his hug right now after what she dreamed about. It wasn't the fact that she dreamed of Jasper that made her feel so ashamed. Rather...it was the fact that dreaming about being on the ship with her again filled her with this hollow sense of grief.

She was a Crystal Gem now...sort of. Or at least she knew she wasn't part of Homeworld. Jasper was Homeworld. Jasper was the one that told her to shoot everyone. Jasper was the one that destabilized the gem that Peridot now referred to as "Mother." And she hurt her brother.

...But Jasper was the only one that Peridot had before anyone else. She was the only one that cared about her being alive—enough to try and bargain with Yellow Diamond. She took every step she could to try and get her gem working. She didn't even have to. Her job was merely to guide her to earth since she had been there before, and protect her if danger arose. She was the only one that didn't want to see Peridot be turned into spare parts.

A lump formed in the gem's throat and she fought to swallow it, wiping her eyes when she realized tears were starting to form.

"Peridot?"

The gem jolted upright and turned towards Steven. He was rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "How come you're awake?"

"Oh...um..." Peridot twiddled with the blankets nervously. She couldn't tell him. "I...had a bad dream." It wasn't really a lie. She wished she hadn't dreamed it. Steven immediately closed the distance between them in another tight hug. He pulled the blankets back over their forms.

"It's okay...I'm here! And tomorrow Connie is coming over, and we're gonna swim in the ocean!"

"What's swimming?" Peridot muffled into her sibling's shirt.

"I'll teach you tomorrow." He pat her hair affectionately. "So...did you want to tell me about your bad dream?"

Peridot shook her head and shut her eyes. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want him to ever know about it. No one could ever know about it...

* * *

"So how many times a day do you need to put this 'food' into your body?" Peridot questioned as she stared down at the salmon burger her sibling had put together for her. He was wolfing his down without a caution in the world.

"Like three times a day is the healthiest," Steven told her. "'Cause you're supposed to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But we skipped breakfast 'cause we kind of slept in. But that's okay, you can skip meals now and then. Do you like your salmon burger?"

Peridot poked at it. She had a better understanding of how to eat—and that the food was supposed to go _inside_ your mouth. "Salmon is...?" She took a bite.

"Fish," Steven chirped. "They're squishy swimming little creatures that live in the sea, which is where we're going to be swimming. It's tasty, huh?"

"The ocean huh?" Amethyst suddenly swooped down and mussed Steven's curls, before doing the same to an annoyed Peridot. "Be careful you don't run into Malachite."

The rest of the roaming gems stiffened, but Peridot looked at Amethyst curiously. "Who's Malachite?" The gems stared at each other, wide eyed. That was right. As far as Peridot was concerned, the other Homeworld gems had just vanished or been broken.

"When Jasper and Lapis crashed here with us," Garnet began difficultly. "They fused together, but Lapis gained control of the fusion. She dragged them both to the sea and we haven't been able to find them since."

Peridot just stared. She felt the hope and happiness bubble within her chest. "So...they're alive?" Jasper was alive?

"As far as we know," Pearl said. "But they're also an incredible danger to us. The longer an unstable fusion stays fused, the more they lose themselves. They'll simply become an embodiment of the emotions that made them. Anger, distrust... If Malachite becomes free all she'll want to do is destroy. She won't be Lapis and she won't be Jasper."

Peridot felt sick. An incredible wave of varied emotions surged within her. Relief, grief, sadness. Jasper was alive but she was trapped. Peridot bit her lip.

"Are you alright?" Garnet asked the gem gently. She bent to her level and placed a soothing hand in her hair, smoothing it slightly. "You look upset. ...I promise we won't let Malachite hurt you."

The feeling in her chest made it feel ready to burst. She wanted to tell Garnet so bad about what she was really feeling, but she was afraid the fusion would be angry with her and she didn't want to chance losing her 'Mother.' "I'm...fine. Um, so when does this swimming thing start?"

There was a knock on the door and when Peridot turned she saw an excited dark skinned girl waving at them both.

"Connie!" Steven shouted and swung the door open, embracing his friend. She was already dressed in her one piece swimming suit. It looked different then normal clothing, Peridot realized. "You're here! Wow, I like your new suit!"

The girl flushed. "Thanks. My mom made me get a new one for swimming lessons. It came with a red bathing cap too but that's too embarrassing to even want to wear." She blinked when she spotted the strange new person behind him. "Steven...? Who is that?"

"Oh." Steven took his sibling's hand and pulled her out from behind him, waving the green arm until the annoyed gem snatched it away. "This is my new sister, Peridot!"

"Sis...ter?"

"Kinda. Garnet adopted her I guess and she calls her 'Mother', and I guess Garnet is kind of like my..." He looked back at the taller gem and felt his cheeks turn pink. "Um...yeah, so she calls me brother and I call her sister. See?" He showed her the necklace.

"Wow, you're so lucky Steven," Connie groaned. "I'd give anything to not be an only child. It gets so lonely sometimes." She piped up. "But I've got you, and...now your...new sister!"

"Yeah!" Steven let out a whoop of joy as he shut the patio door behind them and started running down to the sea. "You're gonna have so much fun today Peridot, I just know it! Swimming is the best!"

They reached the beach and Peridot pattered her bare feet around on the wet sand. She couldn't help but gaze longingly and curiously towards the ocean. So underneath all that deep water...Malachite was somewhere? How could she even possibly know for sure where to start looking? What if Jasper was angry with her for not finding her sooner? What if she didn't even want to see her?

"Hey, Peridot." Steven put a hand on her shoulder, frowning at the worry etched in her face. "Hey, it's okay! You'll really like swimming, trust me. And Connie and me, we can teach you all about the ocean."

Peridot got down on her knees in the sand and tried to peer below the murky sea water. "Is it...like rain?"

"Definitely not!" Steven laughed. "There's different kinds of water on earth, and two different types of lakes! Salt water and fresh water. This is definitely not fresh water."

Peridot made a face. "Well if it's not fresh then why are we going in it? I don't want to 'swim' in something dirty."

Steven laughed. "That's not what I mean. I'll teach you." He took her hand. "I promise that just like rain, it doesn't hurt you." He led her towards the water, and the gemling timidly reached a toe out. It barely rippled the salty water, but it was enough to make her pull back. It was so much bigger then a bath tub.

"Wow Connie," Steven chuckled. "Those swimming lessons are really coming in handy, huh?"

His friend was on her back, doing perfect strokes in the water. Both arms and legs moved in a synchronized motion, as graceful as an orca. "I still can't believe my parents made me take swimming lessons at a pool in the next city." She shrugged. "But it is a lot better doing breathing exercises and diving in...non-salt water."

Peridot dipped her foot in again, clearly wanting to go further in the water but seeming afraid to try. Connie noticed this and waded over to her. Steven was already diving in and out of the water like a hilarious fish. "I was scared of the ocean the first time too."

Peridot shuddered. "It's just so big." Connie reached a hand out to her and gave her a coaxing smile. It took a moment, but Peridot hesitantly took it and let the girl lead her into the water. The cold liquid waded up to her torso and Peridot let out a squeak. Immediately, she pulled back on Connie's hand in protest and Connie let go.

"Maybe it would make you feel better if I show you how to swim," Connie suggested. She waded up next to the worried Peridot. "I can show you how my parents taught me at first. It's perfect for beginners, like yourself. It's called the doggy paddle."

Peridot made a face. "What relevance does swimming have to earth canines?"

Connie laughed. "It's just the name of the swimming technique because when you do it, it kind of looks like you're a dog trying to stay afloat." She demonstrated the technique and paddled around the confused Peridot. The gem watched her for a moment before pawing at the water.

"You have to come further into the water," Connie giggled. "Like, into the water completely so you can actually float."

Peridot started to breathe heavy. "I don't want to!" She backed up desperately until she rammed into Steven.

"It's okay Peridot," Steven promised. "We're not going to let you sink. We promise. Do you want to go together?" Flushing emerald, the gem gave a small nod. Steven wrapped a hand in hers and the two of them started to walk out, getting deeper and deeper, until finally, the water was up to the gemling's chest.

"Awesome!" Steven cheered. "Now you can try the paddle." Peridot looked apprehensively back at the boy and he winked at her. "It's okay." He held up his part of their charm necklace. " Remember, I promised I'd always protect you."

Reassured, Peridot leaped forward to paddle—and sunk immediately to a deep drop off. For the first few moments, Steven and Connie could only stand there, trying to process what had just happened.

"...Well," Steven finally managed. "That's the fastest promise I've ever broken."

* * *

She fell like the rock she was, thankfully not overly deep, but she was far enough down that she couldn't see either of the kids anymore. And definitely far enough that she wasn't going to be able to climb anything to get back up to them.

"Not going to sink, hmmph...sure. Thanks Brother," Peridot griped as she crossed her arms and examined the new surroundings. Water, obviously. A bunch of little things swam above her. "Are those fish?" There were so many of them.

"Peridot!" Suddenly a large pink dome went crashing down the rocks to the pit below. As Peridot watched closer, she realized the pink dome wasn't empty. "Peridot, are you okay?!" Steven demanded, halting the bubble as they reached her. "I'm so sorry! I didn't think you'd sink so fast."

"Duh!" Connie slapper her palm to her face. "Of course," she groaned. "What was I thinking? You're a gem. You're a sentient rock. A rock. Rocks sink. Think Connie, think..."

"Hey, it's okay!" Steven reassured. "We can have lots of fun down here. I mean, it's not swimming, but it's still the ocean and we can still show you the ocean."

"What's so interesting about it?" Peridot griped, still apparently upset that she had sunk to the bottom. "I see fish, and water, and more water." She blinked as her sibling pulled her into the Rose Quartz bubble.

"Yeah," Steven said. "But there's even more to look at and explore. Trust me." He pushed on the bubble with Connie, moving it like a wheel up the rocks until they managed to reach flat sand. Now closer to the shallows and out of the pit where the beams of the sunlight hit the bottom, Peridot was introduced to a whole new world.

"Whoa..." Her green eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, taking in the colors and life around her. There seemed to be a type of moving grass, and ones of different colors. Rainbow colored rocks lined the sand where tropical fish weaved in and out of the holes. There were many of assorted color and shape. Unlike the school that swam above her, no two fish seemed exactly alike. "Steven, this...this is..."

She was speechless. The pure, unadulterated raw beauty of this world amazed her. It was like being on a different planet, on the same planet. It held an innocent delicateness that Homeworld could never even come close to. There was nothing like it.

"The ocean is one of the coolest part of earths," Steven told her. "Sometimes Connie and I do this for fun-just roll around in the bubble. It's like being in a mobile aquarium!"

"Steven look!" Peridot pointed over to a starfish laying in the sand. "That creature is the same shape as your star!"

Steven pushed on the bubble. It glided easily through the white sand. "This is a starfish, Peridot."

"A fish?" Peridot looked confused. "It doesn't look like the things that are swimming around us."

Connie knelt down in the sand and cautiously approached the dormant fish. "Fish come in many shapes and sizes, Peridot. There's so many different types of species and different appearances. They all have different functions. The starfish isn't actually a fish though, since it doesn't have gills or scales or fins. We learned this in biology. They're a species called _Echinoderms_."

The small star propelled itself lightly across the sand, towards the bubble. With a glistening pink ripple, Steven pushed his hand through the bubble to take the starfish into his hands.

"Starfish can also regenerate their limbs if they lose them," Connie said, gently petting the small creature. She grinned at her best friend. "Steven, I should teach you and Peridot biology sometime."

Steven looked down at the star in his hands and then back to his sibling. "Hey Peridot, do you want to hold it?" She looked at him nervously. "It's okay, you won't hurt it. Just hold your hands out like this, okay?"

Peridot shook her head. "No—Steven, it's fine. I don't..." But she trailed off as the boy gently placed the wiggling creature in her hand.

It felt like time had stopped to the gem and the world condensed itself to the small bubble they were in. The starfish wiggled in her open palms and Peridot had never felt more powerful and more afraid at the same time. She could so easily crush this little creature. That's what she was taught to do. Crush the inferior life forms, crush what they didn't understand. ...But how could something as delicate as this, surviving in this dangerous world possibly be inferior? ...How could anything on this planet be?

Each life lived in this world all had a different story; from the tiniest insect, to the invertebrate of the sea and the humans that walked on land. They all were just as important, and they all deserved the same chance. ...Why couldn't she make Homeworld see that? And the bigger question...could she make Jasper see it?

Peridot felt the tubes of the starfish glide gently over her hand and she smiled. She ran a finger over the starfish's rubbery bristles. The words came out before she even realized it. "I'll never hurt you..." Steven and Connie beamed to each other.

"More!" Peridot suddenly exclaimed, taking full pilot of the bubble and pushing it in all sorts of directions. "I want to see everything else! Everything!"

Steven and Connie laughed as they struggled to keep up with her. "Well we can't see everything!" Steven giggled. "Everything in the ocean hasn't even been discovered yet, and the farther we go in, the more dangerous it gets."

Peridot was already enamoured with her new find, a seahorse. "This one is comical looking!"

"Oh, a seahorse!" Connie exclaimed, grinning as it swam curiously next to the bubble. "How cute! You know for a while scientists actually debated on if seahorses were fish. The male ones can give birth. I think that's the coolest thing! Who'd even think there was an animal that could be a Dad and a Mom at the same time!"

Steven didn't answer. He was too busy clutching his stomach. "Steven?" Connie blinked. "Are you okay?"

The boy forced a smile. "Ah yeah, heh... I think it's just the salmon burger not sitting too well at all. I...kinda need to go to the bathroom."

Connie laughed. "We're in the ocean!" She looked up towards the surface. "Well I guess I'll have to go back too. Can't stay in the bubble without you. Come on, Peridot!"

"No!" Peridot suddenly snapped, still holding the starfish. "I'm not ready to go back yet! I still want to look around some more!"

Steven sighed in frustration. He looked from the gem to the shore line and knew his stomach was on a strict time bomb here. He could feel it twisting. "Ugh...okay, fine. I'll only be a moment anyway. Stay around this area, okay? I mean it, don't go any further! ...Or I'll tell Garnet!" he added. His stomach churned again. "Oh geez! Come on Connie, we gotta go!"

Peridot watched the seahorse as it flit around her head. "Where are you going, seahorse?" She frowned as it started to swim away. "Hey! Hey, get back here! Stop swimming!" She started to run. "I command you!"

Obviously the seahorse didn't heed to her orders and was much faster then her, so she soon lost sight of it. In fact, Peridot quickly noticed that a lot of the fish were swimming away. The nearby waters were almost vacant now.

A groan sounded out nearby. It was low, raspy and shook the waters. Peridot froze and her first instinct was to flee like the rest of the fish, but something compelled her to go towards the sound instead, and she wasn't sure what. "Wh...what is that? What's there? Show yourself."

She saw the large floating white mane of hair before she saw the face of the creature. It made another moaning sound, and then it looked up at her. Peridot felt her world turn.

Splinters of her gem were starting to fall from her face, which was visibly badly cracked. She hardly had the strength to keep her head up. "... Er'ouy evila..." was all Jasper managed to crackle out before she disappeared and a damaged gem clinked into the sand.


	7. Trust

_(A/N: You guys all rock, you know that? Your reviews make my day. I mean I'm not the best at responding to them, but trust me I read every one thoroughly and squeal in joy to them. ;p I'll try to get better at responding though... I have a tumblr if you dears are interested (nevenger). I might make a blog specifically for this fic. Maybe a draw-base ask blog? I'll see. Also, one of my dear friends Mary is working on some covers for upcoming songs in the fic so definitely be excited for that!)_

* * *

Peridot knelt there in the shallow waters and started to tremble. First it was a subtle shudder, but then it shook her body. "Jasper!" she shouted, scooping up the gem. She made a broken noise as a splinter fell off the already stone. "No...no!" It was hard to tell if she was crying under the water, but she was certain she was. "No, please!" She struggled to grab every piece of shards there were. Thankfully Jasper was mainly in tact so there were only a few.

Peridot shuffled the shards in her hand with a whimper. The gem was badly cracked and on the verge of shattering. If she wasn't careful moving her she'd shatter completely. She needed help.

"Steven!" Peridot shouted through the water, clutching the shards of her former caretaker in her other hand. "Steven!" She waved frantically. She could see the back of his head, and Connie. They were over by a rock face, knelt down in front of something. The beams of the sun blinded her and all Peridot could make out was something blue rippling in the breeze. She froze. Something blue...

"Peridot!" Steven shouted to her. His face was filled with concern. "Peridot, come here! We need your help!"

"I need yours too!" she shouted back. She shoved Jasper into her pocket, cupping the gem securely as she ran. The closer she got the more she realized the state Lapis was in, and it was almost as bad as Jasper.

Steven had the gem propped up against his lap as he and Connie tried to keep her head up. Lapis was as weak as a day old infant and could barely open her eyes. They reflected like a mirror. She had no pupils. Her body flickered with static, especially every moment she attempted to part her lips enough to even speak.

" ...I...t'ndid naem ti..." Her voice came out like an old crackling radio station. Steven could see tears starting to form in the blue gem's eyes. "... Llet...reh... m'I yrros..."

"No, no, no," Steven soothed, holding the gem close and passing a soothing hand over her blue bangs. "Lapis, shhh...don't talk..." he sniffled. "Just take it easy."

The blue gem gave a shuddering, static breath. "...Evas...reh." She disappeared in a blue cloud, and her damaged gem fell in Steven's hands. "No..." the boy whimpered. He started to tremble.

"Steven." Connie put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You can heal her, right? Your...healing spit?" She drew him against her as he started to cry. "And if that doesn't work, you've got your Mom's tears!"

"It doesn't work." Steven shook his head in denial. "I'm not a magical healer anymore. I...I don't want to lose Lapis." Connie squeezed his shoulder comfortingly and he looked at her earnestly.

"Just try it..."

Tear filled eyes looked from Connie to Peridot. When they focused on her Peridot felt an uncomfortable twist in her own stomach. She knew that Steven told her his healing powers didn't always work and she didn't feel like giving her brother false hope. ...Then again, if it did work...could it heal Jasper too?

Steven hesitantly licked his hand and puckered his lips at the salty spray from the sea. He looked to Connie and Peridot anxiously...before he gently smoothed the thick saliva over the stone. For a moment nothing happened, and then a blue hue coated around the gem and mended it together.

Steven's wet face split into a huge grin as Lapis's stone returned to its formal unvarnished indigo. He gave it a nuzzle and smiled at his friend and sister. "I did it!"

Peridot grinned right back. "Congratulations, Steven! U...um, if the Lapis is well now, I need your help!" She clutched the shards in the back of her pocket.

"What is it?"

Peridot felt her fingers slowly uncurl from the sharp splinters of the gem. A cold fear washed over her in realization. Steven would panic if he saw the shards, and rightfully so she supposed. She would too confronting someone that tried to kill her and towered over by what felt like a hundred feet. He didn't know Jasper like she did. ...And if there was one thing that Peridot did know, it was how irrational someone could react in fear. He'd take her to the gems, and what would they do? Bubble her? Shatter her? She couldn't risk losing the last shred she had to her old life.

"Um...it's nothing. Actually, the most important thing now would probably be getting Lapis back to the temple."

Steven nodded, but he looked towards the sea worriedly. "We should probably look for Jasper though. If they've unfused it means she's out there...and she's pretty dangerous. I mean, the gems will want to detain her."

Peridot trembled at the thought. "Yes maybe, but...as you put...she is... _dangerous."_ It was difficult just to get the words out. When you really knew her Jasper was about as dangerous as a puppy. "And she's shown that she can easily incapacitate you." She looked at Connie. "Especially a human."

Connie puffed her chest out. "I might be a human, but I'm also a trained knight. I could take her." Peridot scoffed. If Garnet barely scraped by she highly doubted that.

"You might be able to," Steven said with a little smile. "But it's probably best to tell the gems and they can look for her out in the sea. Garnet hasn't been out there for a while."

Peridot heaved a subtle sigh of relief. At least if the gems were away in the water it would keep Jasper safe longer while she searched for... "Steven, what is the substance Connie spoke of again? The...healing substance?"

"Oh, my Mom's tears?" Steven cradled Lapis's gem as they made their way back to the temple. Peridot tried to keep her movements stilted so the jingling of shards could not be heard. "My Mom had healing powers. She had...the powers to fix any gem and I guess humans too. Anything that was hurt or broken. A while ago Amethyst got cracked and we took her to Mom's fountain, and Garnet bottled up some tears."

Peridot looked at the boy warily. "And...where are these tears?"

"In Garnet's room I guess."

The gemling wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. Of course they would be in such a dangerous zone. Getting in Garnet's room wouldn't be a problem, but finding the tears would be. They were likely in one of the hundreds upon hundreds of floating bubbles.

"Guys!" Steven hollered as he and Connie bolted into the house, still clutching Lapis close. "Guys, we found Lapis!"

The gem's eyes widened as they sprung up from where they were reclining on the couch. "What?" Pearl gasped. "How? But—was Jasper with her?" The children shook their heads and the gem gave an alarmed look towards the sea. "She must still be out there."

"Lapis was really cracked and I actually got my healing powers to work," Steven explained. He ran a tender hand over the stone, petting it softly. He nuzzled it like a kitten.

"That must be how they unfused," Garnet mused. She bent down to examine Lapis's stone. As Steven said, it was completely healed now and no longer marred by the indents it had before. "They fought so hard it strained their gems and they shattered."

Peridot felt ill. The shards in her pocket suddenly felt even colder and she could feel her feet drum in nervousness.

Steven's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "So...Jasper is somewhere shattered in the sea? But...that's a lot of shards. I don't think we could find them all. We can't heal her if we don't find them all." He saw the somber look on the gem's faces and felt his heart sink a little. "...Oh."

"There's always a chance we could find them," Garnet said quietly, but she didn't sound so sure. "If we can't at least we saved Lapis." She looked down at Peridot and her expression strangely lingered on her for a moment.

"Well there isn't time to lose," Pearl told them as she stood up abruptly. Her gem shimmered and she flashed on some swimming wear.

"We'll come too," Steven told her, a determined look on his face as he and Connie started outside, following the other gems. He glanced back for a moment to his still wet sister standing there and creating a puddle. "Are you coming, Peridot?"

"Uh..." Caught under the gaze of the gems Peridot fumbled for some sort of excuse and looked over to Lapis on the table. "Well, I think I've had enough of water for today, so someone should stay behind and watch Lapis."

The rest of the gems seemed to take this excuse, but Peridot missed the way Garnet frowned suspiciously before seemingly going off with her team as well. Peridot stayed ducked beneath the counter tops until she was sure they were gone from view. Feeling she was safe, the gemling made a quick dart over to the Temple Door.

"If they really think Jasper is out there they should be gone a while," she mused to herself. Long enough perhaps for her to find the tears. She wasn't sure what she'd do once she healed her, but she knew she had to keep Jasper from being found.

With a flash of light Peridot tumbled in the door she had been in twice before. Only this time, it was completely alone. She never had a chance to really look at the room before since when she was in this room it was always in some sort of panic or struggle, but now she could see the warm tiles pooling into the center of the room, where a lava pit was located. And the hundreds of bubbles floating above each housed a different gem.

"It will take hours to locate the bottle,"Peridot groaned and scowled around the room. There was no easy way up to the bubbles other then to climb the pipes, and she wasn't particularly adept at climbing. "I could fly with my limb enhancers..." Thanks to the gems, she didn't have those though.

Making her way over to the pipes, the gemling began to scale up them carefully. She scooted her backside up slowly and gradually started to make a dent in the distance to the ceiling. The gemling didn't even realize that within moments, she was suspended over the lava.

"I don't see tears." What did they look like? Was it just a small vial of water? If she could just push away one of the stupid bubbles, maybe she could see better. She leaned over while keeping one hand on the pipe. She swatted towards the bubbles, but her stubby hand was far too short. She had to lean over more.

"Ah!" Too far. The gem cried out as she started to tumble off the pipe, and when she saw the magma death that awaited her beneath, she let out a shrill scream as she started to plummet closer to her fiery demise. It was only when she could feel the scalding heat against her face that something suddenly grabbed her and rolled with her.

Garnet stood in a crouched position with the gemling against her chest, caged protectively. Peridot shivered and barely peeked out, wondering if she was alive and how. And she looked up into eyes of a rather angry Garnet. Immediately, the gemling shrunk into her lap and her green eyes became owlishly wide.

"It's a good thing I got here in time before you became a fried Peridot." The gemling flinched at the harsh bite to the woman's voice. She twiddled her tiny fingers nervously.

"How...did you know I was here?"

Garnet tapped her visor. Future vision. "And I know what you're doing here." Immediately, Peridot became ice cold. She froze in terror and for a long moment, she didn't move. Garnet held out a hand expectantly. "Give her to me Peridot."

Silent stretched on as Garnet kept her hand out, curling her fingers in slightly to try and indicate she wanted it now. "Peridot." The tone became more stern and insistent. "Give Jasp-"

 _Smack!_ Garnet's hand recoiled back, at the very least simply in shock that the young gem had just hit her. Peridot wrenched herself free from the fusion's arms and started a mad dash towards the door. Effortlessly, Garnet jumped into the air and landed in front of the gemling.

"Peridot, give her to me," Garnet ordered. The tone had no room for negotiation. "Don't make me take her away from you."

"Never, you _CLOD!"_ Peridot suddenly shrieked as she darted through her legs. Garnet's eyes widened at the insult she was sure they had long since passed, but she jumped in front of the gem again. She refused to fight her. With what she knew about Peridot, not only was the gem child incapable of fighting back, but she was definitely weaker too.

"Peridot." Garnet grabbed her arm firmly. "Stop this now," she ordered sharply. The gemling thrashed and slapped at her hand repetitively like she had Steven. Obviously, it didn't even effect the fusion. "Peridot, you have one last chance," Garnet warned her. "I don't want to get mean."

"I'll fight you!" the gemling shrieked furiously. Garnet pulled her up over her knees and pinned her there. With the other hand she reached into the gemling's pajama pocket. She was just about to pull the gem shards out when Peridot completely broke down.

"NOOO!" she shouted as she abruptly burst into tears and let loose a heartbroken wail. "DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME! PLEASE!"

Garnet's hand hovered there and her gaze never left the sobbing gemling, who scrambled her hands back to try and protect the pocket. Finally, Garnet shook her head and she gently sat Peridot up in her lap. "Alright, that's enough," she ordered softly. Peridot had the shards in her hands and was sobbing softly into them. "Look at me," she said kindly.

Her vision marred by thick tears, Peridot obeyed. Her tears fell onto the pieces of shards.

"Talk to me." Garnet said. She reached down and smoothed her fingers through the gem's mint colored hair. "What's wrong? Why did you freak out?"

"Nobody understands!" Peridot blurted out through her tears. She practically cradled the broken pieces of Jasper. "She's not what you all think she is! She's not this horrible monster! I mean, she—she can be really frightening when she's angry, but so can anyone! None of you know her like I do! I know she tried to destroy your planet, but so did I! I can't let you take her from me—she's all I-"

Garnet put a finger to the gem's lips. "You thought I was going to shatter her, didn't you?" She gave a wincing smirk as she looked at the pieces of the gem. "Well...what's left of her."

"Of course." Peridot wiped her eyes. "Sh-she was a threat to you. She captured you all. W-we both did. I wouldn't blame you—but I also won't let you!" she babbled on desperately.

Garnet placed a hand on the gem's hair once more to calm her down and tilted her head up by placing a finger under her chin. "Do you trust me?"

The question caught Peridot off guard and she shook off Garnet's finger, staring up at her. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

Wide green eyes blinked up at the woman. It surprised her how easy it was to answer this. "Yes."

A smile spread over the fusion's face as she nodded and once more held out her hand to the gem. "Give Jasper to me."

Peridot's head snapped up immediately to Garnet's and she instinctively clutched Jasper close to her as her eyes became wet at the rim again. Garnet patiently held her hand out and didn't press the frightened gemling or speak. Slowly, unsure, Peridot put her hand over the fusion's larger one and let the pieces of gem tink into her open palm.

Garnet closed her hand around Peridot's small hand tenderly and slowly pulled back with the shards. She turned her head skywards and beckoned with another hand. Slowly, a small bubble descended. It had a vial in it filled to the top with tears. Popping the bubble, Garnet caught the bottle and uncorked it. She tipped it and a small pristine drop fell onto the shards.

The jasper shards glowed a soft orange and glimmered as they slowly pieced themselves together like a puzzle. Garnet put the healed Jasper into Peridot's eagerly waiting hands. The gemling hugged the stone close to her. "I trust you too," Garnet said. "And that's why I'm going to give her back to you. I trust that you know a Jasper that we don't and that you know what to do."

Peridot's eyes glimmered with joy and she launched herself at the fusion before she could help herself, tiny arms wrapping tight around Garnet's neck. Garnet returned the hug in full and pulled Peridot back. She looked stern.

"But I also trust that you realize the risks with this. Jasper is no match for any of us—especially since we have Lapis at our disposal, but she is very dangerous to Steven. And you are to keep her away from him until she's tamed."

Peridot nodded immediately. "I understand. ...How long do you think it'll be until they've reformed?"

Garnet's expression turned somber. "It's hard to say Peridot. It could be a very long time. Lapis and Jasper were fused in an unstable fusion for over a year. The effects of that will be severe on them, and there's no telling what consequences it will have on them, both physically and emotionally. Even after they reform, I don't think they'll be themselves." She put a hand on the gemling's shoulder. "Jasper is going to need you more then anything."

Peridot nodded. "I'll reciprocate to all the care she showed me on the ship." She smiled. "I suppose it will be my turn to return the favor. Do you...think there's any way I can make her comfortable?"

Garnet chuckled. She felt inclined to point out that the giant gem probably wouldn't even notice, but she didn't want to stem Peridot's enthusiasm. "What about that blanket we snuggled in?"

* * *

Several hours later, Peridot had Jasper underneath a heat lamp and wrapped in a large 'hot dog' patterned blanket in a little shoebox. She perched her chin on her arm, which flooded with a large, overgrown t-shirt of Steven's that she was using as a nightgown (since she had gone into the ocean in her pajamas).

"You probably appreciate the warmth after being in the ocean all this time. It's chilly in the water. And wet." The heat lamp of Steven's would ensure she'd get enough warmth and dryness. Peridot couldn't help but pick up the gem as she sat at the edge of the couch and placed it in her baggy lap.

"If you were conscious you'd probably be growling at me for coddling you like _you're_ the gemling," Peridot snickered. The stone in her lap didn't respond. "I remember when I broke the communicator to Yellow Diamond on the ship, and it only enhanced her desire to want to recycle me. You roared that you would 'beat my ass to and over the moon' if I did it again since we didn't want to make her any angrier with me."

Peridot slumped against the couch cushion, and the effect caused the large t-shirt to engulf her and the small stone in her lap. "I never thought I'd want to hear you yell at me again."

"Peridot?"

Peridot squeaked and nearly dropped Jasper as her stupid annoying sibling scared her. "Steven, what are you doing here? You heard Mother Garnet's rule; you're not allowed near Jasper's stone."

"I was curious," Steven admitted with a shrug. He had a glass of water...and water wasn't all that was in it. "You've got Jasper covered up? I put Lapis in water because I knew it'd make her feel better and more at home." He tapped the glass. "But I didn't put ice cubes in it, it'd make her way too cold."

Peridot rolled her eyes and adjusted the quilt around Jasper. "She'll likely shatter the glass when she comes out."

Steven shrugged. "That's okay, we've got lots." He sat down beside his sister. "So you're pretty attached to her, huh?" He wrinkled his face up. "But she seemed really mean."

Peridot scoffed. "At one point didn't I seem really mean too?" Steven quieted, realizing she had a point. "She can be...quite mean, but...she always only did what she was told, and what she thought was the best. I would probably have already been shredded for parts if it wasn't for her." Peridot gave a small snort. "But I think there were times she wanted to shred me herself."

Steven giggled a little and kicked his legs lightly against the coffee table. He picked Lapis up and held the dripping blue stone in his hand. He held it out, side by side with the jagged orange stone of Jasper. "...Think we can help them get along?"

"Huh?"

Steven pet Lapis. "I mean...do you think we can make them not want to kill each other? And they can live together, live with us happily?"

Peridot shrugged. "I don't know." She didn't care particularly for the Lapis Lazuli. She had merely been a prisoner, and a rather sassy one at that. Jasper could probably recall the many times the gemling had run to her all upset because "The Lapis was being mean."

"You should go upstairs," Peridot told her sibling. She crossed her arms. "If Jasper reforms she'll punch you in the face and that isn't falling on me."

Steven shrugged and picked Lapis back up, dropping her into the water glass with another 'plop!' "Well okay. I guess we can try to figure things out tomorrow." He yawned and started to the staircase. "Good night, Peridot."

"Good night, Steven." Peridot mumbled. She turned off the heat lamp and instead of putting Jasper back into the shoe box, she whisked the hot dog blanket onto the couch with her and snuggled under it with the cold stone pressed against her.


	8. Tension

_(A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry, I kinda went through a dry spell. I know you're all probably thinking this fic was abandoned! Fear not, none of my SU fics are ever to be abandoned. I just had little muse and too much school and such! But I'm here now, ever excited from those leaks and still internally screaming! Jasper and Lapis are to make their big debut soon in this fic. We're about to delve into a lot of interesting relationships._

 _For those who have asked, there is no Jaspidot or Lapidot. Peridot is a child in this fic. Her relationships are purely platonic, but it doesn't mean some other ships won't surface.)_

* * *

It had been nearly a solid month now since Jasper and Lapis were found, and neither gems showed signs of forming any time soon, no matter if they were under the cool water or a heat lamp. Gems weren't like eggs, so to Steven it was even more frustrating since there was no way he could even tell how far progressed they were...

"Maybe if I do put ice cubes in the glass it'll be so cold that Lapis will want to come out," Steven mumbled. He had his face smooshed into his arms on the coffee table, staring at the water shaped dewdrop longingly.

"You don't want to force someone to regenerate if they aren't ready Steven," Garnet told the boy gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's tough, but if Lapis forms now before she's ready to, her state could be...very severe." She cast a pointed look to Peridot, who she knew was thinking the same thing. "Same with Jasper."

Steven dumped Lapis's stone out of the water glass and into his hands, brushing his fingers over the slick, delicate stone. "...What kind of severe?"

"Well..." Garnet hesitated, only now realizing she...didn't know. Lapis and Jasper had been together in an unstable fusion for over a year. Her just being with Amethyst for a day had taken an incredible toll on their bodies and even their mental state. For the next two days, they both found their thoughts mingled together and bits of their personalities leaked into one another. It had been quite an alien sight for Pearl and Steven.

"It's hard to say. This is...a year, of an unstable fusion. Honestly, it's not something I've ever seen..." Amethyst and her fused together was a disaster waiting to happen but their relationship was still close. Lapis and Jasper's was built on distrust and rage.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Steven asked gently. He bit his lip as he looked from Lapis to Jasper. "Is it possible...to...die from a fusion like this?" Peridot felt her heart catch and she clutched Jasper even closer.

"Well it is," Garnet admitted. She saw the panic flare in the children's eyes and quickly amended, " _It was._ You two saw yourselves that they had shattered from the strain, but now...I think shattering is not something we have to worry about." The two looked relieved until she continued grimly, "Insanity is."

"In...insanity?" Peridot whispered meekly. She turned the gem in her hands and her own panic stricken face reflected in the glossy surface of the stone. "What do you mean insanity? Jasper is one of the most sane gems I know of."

"Peridot..." The fusion bit down on her tongue. She didn't want to break the small thing's heart anymore, but she also didn't want to sugar coat anything. She sat down next to the gemling and slid an arm around her. The pained pair of eyes that stared at her from each children made her heart throb. "Kids... Jasper and Lapis can't go through what they did without some repercussions. It's impossible for them to be unscathed."

Steven shook his head. "But...their gems! We healed them both, right? What's the point of healing spit and healing tears if they're both still gonna be hurt anyway?" he snapped, frustrated. Garnet ruffled his hair gently.

"What if we can't fix them?" Peridot whimpered. Tears filled her green eyes and Steven looped an arm around her shoulder to give her an affectionate squeeze. "What if the damage is irreversible? What if...she doesn't remember me?" She was snapped from her panic as Steven suddenly gave his sister an affectionate poke in the nose.

"Hey... come on Peri, let's be real here." He squeezed the girl's cheeks. "Who could even forget someone like you?"

"But-"

"No buts." He took the gemling's little hands and gave them a playful swing. "I bet they're both gonna need the both of us. We'll fix them up together, no matter what. There's nothing that The Crystal Gems can't do if we do it together!"

A tense silence fell as the two children looked down at their respective stones. It was Pearl that broke the silence.

"Well," she said as breezily as she could, a forced smile on her face. "You know what the humans say, a watched pot never boils." She looked to the rest of the team, but they just...stared at her.

" _What?"_ Amethyst demanded, her teeth deep into a slice of beef jerky. She wrangled with it. "What the heck does that mean?"

"It's an earth expression!" Pearl huffed. Everyone looked at each other.

"Never heard of it," Steven said bluntly.

The gem flushed in embarrassment. "You know, if you stare at a pot on the stove it won't cook? And...if you keep staring at Jasper and Lapis they won't...regenerate?" Pearl asked awkwardly, trying to show the connection. The gems stared at her blankly. "Don't look at me, it's an earth expression! I wasn't the one that made it up!"

Garnet chuckled. "It does seem to have some validation though. It's pointless to sit here watching the gems and waiting for them to come out."

Pearl looked at the curious children and smiled. "What about some harmless sparring and training?"

Steven's eyes went starry immediately. "Whoa! The arena, really? It's been so long since we've been there!" He bounced on the couch but Peridot didn't understand the excitement.

"What are you talking about?" Pearl chuckled. "You and Connie spar with me every Saturday there!"

"Saturday is too long," the boy complained as Pearl scoffed and giggled. "I wanna punch rocks even more!"

Amethyst snorted and ruffled his dark curls messily. "You don't even punch rocks, you nerd."

"Someday I'm gonna punch rocks!"

Garnet looked down at the confused gemling that watched as Steven chattered excitedly about 'punching rocks', and she returned to holding Jasper close to her. "The arena is where we go to train," she told the gemling. "Steven and Connie sword train with Pearl often. And sometimes to hone our skills we go and spar each other." She shrugged. "Because you never know what's going to drop on this planet next."

"So..." Peridot's face fell. "It's a training ground of sorts. I see...in that case, I think I'll stay here with Jasper and Lapis." The fusion put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at her.

"You're coming with us," Pearl told her. Peridot's eyes widened in delight and surprise that they wanted her. Garnet's expression faltered slightly. "I don't think that's the best idea."

"Why?" Peridot asked. The question was more like a venomous demand then anything. She glared at the fusion.

Garnet looked down at the angry child and at the rest of the gems. They stared at her questionably. At a loss of what to say, Garnet simple shrugged. "Maybe it would be best if someone stays here to look after Lapis and Jasper, like Peridot suggested."

"Aww, pssh!" Amethyst snorted. "They'll be fine Garnet! It's not like we're gonna be gone long! Just long enough to beef up!"

Peridot shrunk into the couch as a feeling of dread settled in her stomach. "What help am I going to be? I don't have my limb enhancers anymore, and...that's how I protected myself." She blinked as Amethyst tapped a finger against her green gem, and her eyes crossed to try and look up at her finger.

"You don't need your limb enhancers. We're going to activate your gem."

* * *

Peridot's eyes widened as they took in the surroundings of the vast arena. A giant floating platform of marble in the sky. It gave her a happy sense. Being up into the sky made her feel closer to space, and more at home.

"So this is where you gems train?" Peridot asked, slowly striding to the middle of the arena, where the rest of the gems were gathering. "I've heard about this back on Homeworld. Part of the war took place here, and lasted for years..."

"That's right," Pearl nodded. She cast a look towards the statues of the Diamonds. Cracked and damaged, they still stood as regal as ever, on the corners of the arena leading up towards the floating pyramid in the sky, and the diamond symbols.

"This place used to be bigger too," Garnet said. "But things don't normally stay intact during a raging battle of the ages." She smirked. "So this is where we sometimes spar, and where Steven's training with his friend happens."

"Training with his friend?" Peridot questioned. "Sword training, you mean?" She looked over to her brother, and saw he was holding the hilt of a rose encrusted blade. Rose's sword! "Whoa..." Intrigued, she touched the rose engravements.

"Yes." Pearl held the sword away from her. "But, you aren't quite ready yet for this kind of training. First thing is first, we need to get your gem working properly!"

Peridot sighed. Since her creation a year ago that was all gems tried to do. First it was Homeworld because obviously, they couldn't allow a defective gem to live, and then it was Jasper...because that's all Jasper wanted, was to make sure she would still live. "Good luck."

"Hey now!" Steven nudged his sister in the side. "Now that's no way to think! You gotta have a positive attitude! We're gonna get that gem to work and we're gonna get it today! Got it?!"

Peridot blinked at him, but at the encouraging smiles of the rest of the team she started to feel more confident. "Yeah...yeah! We're gonna get this gem working!"

He paced around, trying to think up ideas. "Now...I know my shield always comes to life whenever I'm trying to protect someone from something!" He snapped his fingers. "I got it! Pearl, put me in life threatening danger so Peridot can protect me!"

The slim gem blinked. "Um... _no?"_

"That's not the way to go," Amethyst scoffed. "When I summoned my whip for the first time I was actually taking on a corrupted gem. They were all over Kindergarden at first."

"See?" Steven gestured to the purple gem. "Life threatening danger!"

Garnet shook her head. "Steven, Peridot isn't equipped to dealing with life threatening danger. But..." She did agree, gems did react to a "danger" sense. It was their defence mechanism, automatically built into them.

"But you have the right idea. What we need is a controlled 'danger.' If Peridot's gem senses she is about to be attacked it might activate. Amethyst." She turned to the purple gem. "Can you mock fight?"

Amethyst huffed as she withdrew her whip. "I guess," she mumbled. "I mean, it's not as cool as actually battling." She paused. "Then again, I guess beating up a defenseless kid isn't cool either. Ready Peri?"

Peridot looked worriedly from the thrashing, amethyst encrusted weapon to her mother, but Garnet gave her an encouraging nod. So she timidly stepped forward. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.

"Relax Greenie," Amethyst chuckled. "I can go gentle." She barely lifted the whip towards the gem child and the tip of it barely even touched her arm. Peridot wrinkled her nose and shook her arm, but her gem otherwise made no reaction. "Well that was stupid."

"Nothing?" Peridot whined to the gems. Pearl deflected her attention to sparring with Steven, and Amethyst flashed the child gem a sympathetic smile.

"Maybe if we put her in actual combat," Amethyst suggested.

"She's not ready for that," Garnet said curtly. The abrupt response caught all the gems off guard. Peridot squinted suspiciously to her mother.

"That's how I got my shield working though," Steven reminded Garnet. "Whenever I had to protect someone it'd appear! Same with my bubble."

"Yes," Garnet agreed. "But we never intentionally put you in dangerous situations without some way to protect you. It just happened on your own, and if Peridot's gem is unable to work..." She suddenly trailed off and tried to backpedal, but the green gemling wasn't stupid. Her eyes widened.

"Wait a minute..." She clenched her fists at her sides and pointed accusingly towards the fusion. "You don't think I can do it."

Garnet huffed. "Peridot, that's not-"

"It is what's going on!" Peridot yelled at her. Her clenched fists trembled in fury and betrayal. "That's why you didn't want to take me here! You don't think I can fight! You don't think my gem can function!"

Garnet got down into a crouch and tried to gently explain to the fuming child. "Peridot, I'm not trying to upset you. I'm not trying to make you feel weak! Your gem may show signs of functioning, but as it is right now, if it doesn't work-"

"You think I'm a defect!" the gemling screamed. "That I'm useless!"

"That's not what I'm saying!" Garnet finally snapped.

"It is what you're saying!" Peridot screeched. "You're just like them!" Her hand swung back with all the force in her and smacked the fusion in the face. You could hear a pin drop to the floor after the rest of the gems gasped in horror. Garnet's visor landed on the ground with a crack, and three wide eyes stared in shock at the small gem. Peridot didn't even seem to register the reality of what she just did as her hand still rose beside her.

Finally Garnet snapped out of it and grabbed Peridot's arm. Pearl and Amethyst both gasped.

"Garnet!" Pearl tried to protest, grabbing Steven and holding him against her. "She didn't mean-"

The very area shook with tremulous power as an abrupt, loud roar ripped through the air in a cry that sounded like roaring thunder. The very arena, thousands of miles off the ground shook at the sheer force of the power. It sent every gem stumbling in surprise. Garnet nearly lost her grip on the child she was holding onto, but instead gripped her tighter protectively. The noise seemed to have shocked the gem out of the unpleasant situation they were just in.

"What...what the heck was that?" Amethyst managed once she managed to get her bearings from the intruding noise.

"Thunder!" Steven chirped. "I guess since we're so high into the air, we can hear it even clearer up here." He scrunched his face up and looked skyward. The clouds surrounding the platform were as clear and white as snow. "The sky is...clear though. I don't get it. Wouldn't there be...uh, darker clouds if it was going to rain?"

"That wasn't any thunder," Garnet said seriously. The gem child in her grip had stopped struggling, eyes wide as saucers.

"The Cluster..."

"That wasn't the Cluster either." Finally, Garnet let Peridot go. She looked from Pearl to Amethyst, and they all looked just as solemn.

"I haven't heard that noise in over two hundred years," Pearl mused quietly. She winced as it came again and put an arm protectively around Steven. "The Tiger Eye."

"The what?" Steven threaded his fingers through his sister's and pulled her to his side, patting her hair until she calmed down. "What's a tiger eye? Is it, like a giant tiger or something?" His face lit up. "Maybe Lion can have a friend!"

Garnet shook her head. "The Tiger Eye is a corrupted gem, one of the most elusive and dangerous of the monsters we've ever faced. It surfaces once every few hundred years, taking the form of a large scorpion. The venom is so deadly it can permanently corrupt another gem if it stings. The stone of its victim can crumble away to nothing... Tiger Eyes were very efficient in battle. Homeworld and The Crystal Gems both have their own. They can seek out their opponent's weakness and can always find them, even in hiding."

"So...it's a gem monster then." Steven nodded with a grin. Taking down a corrupted gem would be way cooler then a sparring match! "What are we waiting for? Crystal Gems, MOVE OUT!" He started to the warp pad, but his dash to daring adventuring was cut short by the hand that grabbed his shirt collar.

"I don't think so, Steven." Garnet shook her head. "This is one battle that even you aren't ready for. It's too dangerous for you and Peridot. In truth, The Crystal Gems have lost many to corrupted gems." Steven stared at her in shock.

"There used to be more then us even after the war," Pearl said quietly. "I still refuse to believe that on this planet we _are_ the last... But the few we had with us were shattered by the corrupted gems. They don't know any better. They're frightened abominations that don't realize all we're trying to do is help."

"And fear leads to violence." Garnet set Steven down gently. "If you and Peridot get stung you may not survive it. You two are to stay back at the temple. We can continue training another day." She glanced over to Peridot but the gemling refused to even look at her.

"Cheer up buckos," Amethyst clicked. "You know, when they first found me, they wouldn't let me near that scary thing for the first couple hundred years! It's just for your own good. Why not pop some popcorn and watch a movie or something?"

"Maybe I'll just see my Dad," Steven muttered, glowering at the ground. Being forced to stay at home during missions again sucked, but it looked like his sister was taking this way harder. She was already on the warp pad with her arms crossed and her back turned.

"That's a wonderful idea," Pearl said, trying to sound cheery to bring the children out of the dumps. "He's hardly seen you much these past couple weeks. I'm sure he'd love some company."

"We'll be back before you know it," Garnet told them. She smiled and formed a heart with her hands. "Steven, I love you." The flushing boy returned the gesture. Garnet glanced over to the moping green thing on the warp pad. "Peridot!"

There was no response from Peridot, even though there was no possible way she didn't hear Garnet. She jerked around more so her back was even more turned, and she disappeared in a flash of light. Steven watched the fusion's hands falter a little.

"Hey, it's okay. She's just...she probably really wishes she had her limb enhancers so she can fight," Steven said quietly. "We'll be okay! Um, you guys be safe, okay? Sounds like that Tiger Eye is really scary." He turned from the gems and started back to the warp pad.

He appeared back in the temple and nearly bumped into Peridot. She hadn't even moved from the warp pad. "Hey, are you okay?" There was still no response. "I know it sucks, but they just want to do what's best for us, and protect us. Garnet really loves us and she just doesn't want to see us hurt." Peridot didn't move. "I mean—I guess I am just starting to get control of my powers, and you-"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Peridot snarled. "Just leave me alone, okay?!" She whirled away from the boy and stormed to the couch, plunking heavily down with her arms crossed.

Steven blinked. "Okay...um, I'm going to go see my Dad. So...do you want to come?"

"No!" the gemling shouted back. "No, no! I don't want to see your Dad! I don't want to see any of you! Don't you clods get the meaning of _leave me alone?!_ Get lost Steven!"

The boy looked stricken and a hurt look replaced the shock. He bit his lip and nodded meekly. "Y-yeah, okay. Sorry...I'll see you later then." His head was turned so Peridot couldn't see the way his eyes teared up slightly. If she could maybe she would have felt more apologetic, but right now all the gemling felt was frustration.

With a furious cry she leaped to her feet and grabbed an empty plate and glass on the coffee table, hurling it to the floor. It shattered into millions of shards. Unsatisfied, the gemling reached over and grabbed the couch cushions and hurled them to the floor. Then she kicked the broken shards across the room.

"Stupid!" she shouted as she jumped up and slammed her fist into her _stupid, weak, insignificant lousy little stone!_ "Stupid! Stupid gem! STUPID! It can work! I know it can! I am not a defect! The great and wonderful Peridot is not a defect! I was top of my class! They sent me to earth! I...I..." Tears threatened to fill her eyes but the gem furiously held them back. She wouldn't cry.

"I know I can be useful." All her existence, all through the travel to earth she felt like nothing more then a useless little errand girl. She couldn't help Jasper when invaders were attacking the ship until she learned her weaponry, and now, without her enhancers she couldn't do anything. "I'm tired of just being baggage." Determined little eyes focused on the warp pad. That stupid Tiger Eye couldn't be too hard to find, especially if it was really big. Resolute, she stepped onto the warp pad. "I _won't_ be useless to The Crystal Gems."


	9. Danger

( _ **What we really are...what we really are...what we really are...**_

 _*shrill screaming*_

 _Okay so, it's been a while, I know. It's hard to summon up the muse to write this when you're going through a SU dryspell. Safe to say, last night's announcement pumped me up. Well, I only started this last night and it's like...what, twelve pages? That should say enough. XD So I'm not in college anymore. Had to drop due to health. Actually have surgery coming up. Whoopdie-doo. That might mean updates will be more frequent but it will depend on how drained I am from my illnessess. I've been out of school for almost a month now but I seldom want to write._

 _This is a long chapter with an outcome that's going to change the course of this fic slightly. Or at least, shift it more into a different direction. I hope you're all as excited as me to see how it winds up ending, and the many dynamics that are to be explored. ;) Don't worry, it won't end for a while yet._

 _ **Warning:** brief scene of corporal punishment.)_

* * *

The co-ordinates of the warp pad were set to where-ever the Tiger Eye was, and Peridot found herself immediately in the middle of an Oasis. It reminded her of the Kindergarden. It seemed so quiet and dead. There wasn't a soul to be found, so for a moment Peridot wondered if she was even in the right place. She didn't know anything about 'scorpions.' For all she knew, the things could live in the water.

"And I don't even have any of my tracking maps with me," the gemling grunted angrily as she stomped her foot down into a sand dune. Her limb enhancers had everything she needed. Maps, data bases, weaponry and even the capability of flight. Without them all she could do was retreat into her gem in terror and hope the beast would be merciful enough not to shatter her.

"No, don't think like that!" she berated herself. "As soon as you see that creature your gem will activate! And you can fight it! And bubble it, just like a Crystal Gem!" Just like her brother, and her mother. Although the mere thought of Garnet right now made a scowl ripple. "I'll show you, Garnet..."

A sudden shriek penetrated the skies and shook the dunes around her. Peridot gasped and ducked into the sand to avoid the wind spraying the grains into her face. But that wasn't wind...and it certainly was not far off. "The Tiger Eye!" The gemling picked up speed in excitement and started eagerly running through the sand towards the direction of where the howling came from.

Her thoughts were reeling. What would her weapon be? Would it be the same as other Peridots? Likely. Peridots were more defensive then offensive so her weapon would probably be some sort of shield. Honestly, she wouldn't mind that. Steven could do some neat things with his shield. She'd have someone to at least teach her how to fight with it. At this point, anything was better then nothing...and she was sick of being nothing.

Her feet felt hot in the sand and the sun beat down on her head, matting jade curls against the side of her face. "This is stupid!" She was at the end of the Oasis! If she went any further she'd end up off map! "I heard the noise! It was right here!"

She looked down at her wrist and only gave a frustrated yowl when she remembered she didn't even have any of her tech. "I can't do ANYTHING WITHOUT GEM POWERS!" But when her foot came down to stamp into the sand, she gave a screech of agony. "OW! _Shards!"_

The gemling danced from one foot to the other in pain and suddenly found herself thrown into the sand as the ground underneath tossed her. "Ow! What the-?!" Suddenly, the earth rumbled and she couldn't even stand if she tried. Her eyes darted back and forth in panic. Was it an earthquake? Jasper had made her research into possible disasters that could happen during their stay. Somehow it just seemed too much of a coincidence to be an earthquake now.

She barely had time to roll out of the way as a needle sharp spike stabbed out from the sand, and was quickly followed by a row of five more. The spikes themselves were the size that she was. The child's stomach did a nose dive as it dawned on her that she had made a possibly deadly mistake.

Trembling, Peridot scrambled back desperately in the sand in an attempt to put some distance between her and whatever the thing was. The sand dune seemed to be getting taller, rising up like a desert tidal wave as that devastating roar from earlier penetrated her ear drums once more.

A large crystallized insect rivaling that of even Malachite's size towered above her. The claws were nothing more then sharp, jagged crystals, each one individually large enough to crush a house. Rather then the tail of a scorpion, it was long and flexible like a cat's, flicking a large glinting stinger at the very end of it. The eyes were made up of separate Tigers Eye shards and black stripes adorned maroon armor. It was the most terrifying creature Peridot had ever seen.

"Oh my stars," the gemling weakly whimpered. She didn't even think twice about trying to use her gem as she turned on her heel and bolted off screaming as loud as she could. "Somebody! Help me!"

* * *

"So the little green dorito threw a fit huh?" Greg tutted as he sat against the couch and sipped some lemonade. "Sounds like she has a lot of tantrums-from what you told me anyway."

"Welllll..." Steven shrugged his shoulders as he sliced up a couple pieces of bread. "It's not really like that. She does get upset a lot, but I think it's because no one has properly taught her how to control her feelings on Homeworld. And she's young too. Garnet says she's classified as an infantile gem. So she's kind of the closest a gem gets to a baby."

Greg laughed. "Oh, a baby. If that's the case I see where they're coming from. You were no peach when you were a baby. I didn't really know what parents meant when they said 'terrible twos'...but the moment you got creative with your own dirty diaper and started to paint on the walls with your poop, I started to understand."

Steven flushed a bright red. "You're lying! I did not do that!"

"Oh yes you did!" Greg chuckled. "Just like when you scribbled all over my collection of vintage CDs, and I could never use them again!"

Steven pouted as he carried over two plates of bagels. "Well maybe you should have hid them better! You know, child proof the place like you're supposed to?" He shrieked as his father suddenly grabbed him and yanked him into his lap.

"Or maybe I should have gotten a better kid!" Greg teased as he noogied and roughhoused with his laughing child as the boy struggled and giggled until he exhausted himself.

"This bagel tastes plain..."

"Try making it into a BLT?" his father suggested.

"We don't have any bacon, we only have chicken."

"A CLT?"

"That sounds like some sort of medical procedure." Steven made his way back over to the fridge and rummaged through until he found a container of left over chicken. He slapped it onto some cream cheese on the bread. "But it sure looks tasty!" A rumble from upstairs alerted both father and son.

"What was that?"

"Mice maybe," Steven said, already pulling off a piece to give to whatever furry friend had squeezed through the hole in his window now. "Or a squirrel. They come here now and again and I usually feed them!"

Greg looked skeptical. "Kinda seemed...heavy. Unless the squirrel is really fat." Even that didn't seem plausible for such a sound, but Steven was already running up the stairs with his crumb in hand.

The moment he saw the bushel of white hair he knew immediately that it was not any sort of wild animal...and it was also very unlikely that a piece from his half eaten bagel would placate her. But at that point he relied on anything to get those golden eyes off him. "...CLT?"

"Steven!" Jasper suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes were wide and almost...happy? To see _him?_ The boy was stunned. "You're okay!"

"I...what?" Steven demanded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Jasper?"

"I-argh, my head..."

The woman held her head with a groan and covered her face with her hands, staggering and shaking the floor as she did. And when she looked up again, those eyes were not friendly.

"YOU!" Jasper roared. Her fist reared back and slammed into a rose colored bubble that popped up around the boy at the last second. He yelped as she punched the shield, and caused him to teeter at the very edge of the staircase.

"Hey—whoa, take it easy!" he squeaked. "Calm down, Jasper!" Wasn't she weirdly happy to see him a minute ago? The gem warrior roared and headbutted him, causing them both to splinter the railing and tumble five feet down to the floor. He scrambled to his feet and winced as his bubble took a barrage of punches at the speed of a bullet. "Chill out, Jasper!" he yelped. "Can't we just talk about this?!"

"I'LL DESTROY YOU, QUARTZ!"

"What the heck?!" Greg yelled, scrambling back as his son was punched into the end table and split right through it. "This is Jasper? You mean the tried-to-kill-you Jasper?"

"Yep, that's the one!" The gem woman lunged towards his father and Steven barely skidded in front of him just in time to block her with his shield. His glare matched her own and he hurled his shield like a disc towards her face. It didn't do anything more then bounce off it, but at least it distracted her long enough for his father to slip away.

"Jasper!" Steven dove out of the way of a punch that broke through the flooring. "Stop it! I don't want to fight you!"

"WELL I WANT TO FIGHT YOU!" Jasper snarled. She slammed him with attack after attack. It didn't feel like his shield was going to hold for long. It was a desperate strain to keep it going this long, and his body burned with the effort.

"Help!"

* * *

"HELP!" Peridot screamed as she raced through the sand, the Tiger Eye hot on her tail. "PLEASE!" she screamed out into the empty Oasis, her arms flailing desperately. "SOMEBODY!"

The Tiger's Eye roared once more in an attempt to send its pray tumbling so it could better consume her. The sound waves rippled the sand dunes and pierced her ears. Peridot cried out in pain as she clapped her palms over her ears. The scorpion took this to its advantage and slammed its heavy tail into the child, flinging her against a side of a cliff face.

Tears of fear and pain came into the gemling's eyes as she slowly slid off the rocks and landed on her face in the sand. The monster reared up on its six crystal legs, pinchers making a loud clanging sound that sounded like two boulders clashing together. Peridot screamed and rolled out of the way as its stinger struck into the rocks. To her horror, the venom melted away pieces of the rock as easily as if it were butter.

"Come at me!" the child shouted with far more bravado then she really had. She clenched her fists and desperately concentrated, trying with all her might to summon her gem. She closed her eyes and braced as the stinger rose high above her head. One shot and she'd be gone.

The stinger whipped down and she could hear it as it sliced through the air, but it hit something that sounded metal. The child opened her eyes, hoping in vain that it was her own gem weapon, but instead saw a large mallet blocking her from harm. Peridot looked up and saw a multicolored gem fusion standing above.

"HIDE!" Alexandrite roared at her. The child scrambled back in the sand and stumbled blindly towards a crevice in the cliff. A piercing white light flashed behind her, as well as the Tiger Eye's pained roars. Hyperventilating, Peridot backed up rapidly into the back of the crevice.

The next few minutes were nothing but chaos and the sounds of swords, arrows, and rocks as debris were shook loose from the cliffs. The air filled with sand and the gemling ducked her head into her knees, coughing. Dust from the sandstorm blinded the area and soon Peridot couldn't see a thing. ...But she felt a large shadow starting to fall on the crevice.

Peridot screamed and dug her nails into the dirt to try and bury away from sight, praying the creature wouldn't find her. _Tiger Eyes are trained to seek out any gem in any terrain! I'm dead!_ She balled up and waited.

"Peridot?"

Peridot screamed when she felt something touch her arm. "Hey, it's okay! It's me..."

Slowly, the gemling's tear and dust stung eyes blinked open. Three wide concerned eyes stared down at her as her mother gripped her arm. Peridot made a distressed sound and flung herself at the woman. "Oh Mother!"

Garnet all but crushed the baby gem to her chest as she pulled out of the crevice, still clutching the terrified gem child close and shushing her as she smoothed her hair. There would be time for punishment later, and a punishment there would be. Right now, she just needed to hold the girl.

The gems crowded around Garnet and Peridot to make sure the green gem was safe. Garnet had Peridot's backside propped up against her arm, so firm that Peridot couldn't wiggle if she tried. As it was the embarrassed and worried gemling was too afraid to move. She felt too mortified to even look at the other gems, and having Garnet holding her like an earth toddler wasn't making the situation feel any better.

"Are you alright?" Pearl demanded, checking the gemling over. Peridot flapped her arms angrily to try and bat the annoying gem away, but Garnet firmly held her arms and glared at the gemling. "My stars, you gave us all quite a scare! WHAT were you thinking?" she snapped. Garnet was surprised to hear the 'Mom' tone come to the gem's snapping voice, but she was quite willing to let it continue. The little gem brat deserved it after what she put them through, and that wasn't all she was going to get.

"You could have been shattered you nerd!" Amethyst exclaimed. "You freaking idiot! You don't just go out to fight the biggest monster ever- totally defenseless! What were you trying to do?!"

Peridot put her head down and her cheeks turned an embarrassed emerald. Finally, she turned into Garnet's chest.

"Alright." Garnet hoisted the gemling further up in her arm. "We'll continue this discussion at home."

"Is...is the monster bubbled?" Peridot asked hopefully.

"No, not yet," Pearl huffed. She glared at the child. "We were too worried about your well-being. We just wanted to fend it off for now so we could check on you. Are you hurt?"

"No," the gemling mumbled. She was too embarrassed to look at her three angry caretakers. And she felt terrible that their progress was set back because of her. "It didn't sting me..."

"Well it's a good thing it didn't!" Pearl snapped. "Because if it had your gem would be slowly, internally liquefying! No amount of healing power can fix that!"

"Peridot and I need to talk in my room for a bit." Instantly, Peridot's head whipped up. Her jade eyes were the size of dinner plates and she felt her heart start to violently pound. Her room... From the look on the woman's face and the way she was holding her tight-oh she knew what that meant.

"No we don't!" the gemling shouted, but it was more of a desperate plead then anything. "M...Mother Garnet, please. I'm sure Steven wants to-to see me! He was worried as well."

"Steven can see you later," was all Garnet said. She turned with the hapless gemling in her arms and started making her way back to the direction of the warp pad. Amethyst and Pearl exchanged looks behind her and Pearl gave her a sympathetic smile while the unhelpful Amethyst drew her finger across her throat.

But when the warp pad flashed then back into the temple, their attention was immediately directed to the chaos in front of them. The house was absolutely destroyed, fragments of walling, ceiling, and tables all over the floor. And the reason for the chaos was quite visible as the gems stood and watched the most daunting game of Cat and Mouse ever created.

"Gems!" Steven shouted, running around in a circle around the couch with his father. "We got a situation here!"

"I tried to hit her in the face with a frying pan but I think that just made her angrier!"

Peridot jumped out of her mother's arms. "Jasper!" she shouted. The larger gem skidded to an immediate stop in the rubble and spun around to the gemling.

"Peridot?" Suddenly she was barreled over by Garnet, who wrapped her gauntlets tightly around her and gave one quick squeeze. She poofed back into her gem, and Garnet scooped it up.

"Nooo!" Peridot shrieked, racing over. She started jumping up and down to try and reach the gem in the fusion's hand. "Give her back to me! Give her back!"

Garnet calmly scooped the gem babe up with one hand and stilled her thrashing. "Calm down. I just wanted to protect Steven. She's just in a cool off period, that's all." She looked at the child and even behind her visor, Peridot could see her anger. "You and I are going to my room."

As soon as they entered the door and the faces of the rest of the gems disappeared from view Peridot felt herself starting to panic. "Why are we in here?!" she demanded. "Why can't you scold me out there—l-like they were doing?"

"I think you know why." Garnet crossed her arms and sat down with the gem on her knees. Peridot flew into an instant panic. "No—no! Please-! Just listen to me first! I—I have an explanation! I had to do it! You don't—understand!"

Garnet readjusted the gemling so she was turned into her chest and she ran her slender fingers softly through Peridot's hair. "Peridot, take it easy. There's no need to fly into an anxiety attack. Just calm down." She relished in the feel of the gemling in her arms again, safe and alive. Her arms wrapped tightly around Peridot and she enveloped her fully, bringing the small gem up to her face. She buried her face into the child's mint colored hair.

Peridot was stunned. Hugs from Garnet for one reason or another was almost a daily occurrence, but she had never felt one this desperate before. Then...Peridot felt the woman start to shake, and when she looked up, a tear dropped on her green visor. She was crying.

"Mother?!" Peridot gasped. Alarm bells rang out. "What's wrong? Are—are you okay?! You didn't get hurt trying to save me, did you?"

Garnet held her closer and tried in vain to keep the tears at bay. "No." She shook her head. "You don't understand...you don't understand what your little stunt did to me. Peridot I thought I lost you. We all thought we did. I couldn't handle that." Her form shifted and glowed for a brief moment as Garnet strained to keep it together. "The very thought makes me want to split apart."

"I'm sorry!" Now tears rose unbidden to the gemling's eyes. She clung with more force and desperation then she ever had. A deep needing to be reassured she was still loved rose within her. Her green fingers practically clawed to the woman as she quickly soaked her shoulder with tears. "I thought...it was the only way I could ever be of use..."

"By just shoving yourself into danger without even thinking?!" Garnet snapped, holding her at arm's length. "How did you think you could be useful if you shattered?"

"I wasn't trying to shatter!" Peridot sobbed. "I thought if my gem was confronted with danger it would finally activate..."

Garnet lowered her slowly. All that... because she was trying to get her gem to work. "You foolish kid," she mumbled and hugged her close. "I can't believe someone as smart as you could act so stupid." She held her like that for a moment and finally pulled her away. "Well..." She gave a reluctant frown.

Peridot recognized the look and her heart immediately began to flutter. "W-wait, no! You—you specifically told me that I would only be punished again if I was disrespectful to any of the gems!"

"Going behind my back to do something I specifically told you not to is pretty disrespectful," Garnet pointed out. Peridot felt her defenses crumble with her bravery. She started to tremble.

"B-but I was almost shattered! O-or vaporized!"

Garnet narrowed her eyes. "All the more reason to make sure you won't do this again."

"I won't!" Peridot cried shrilly. She struggled and fought the woman as Garnet tried to drape her over her knees. It was embarrassing really how panicked she was becoming. She had fared far worse on Homeworld but it didn't stem the terror. "No!" She shoved against her knees, scrambled her feet in the air. She resisted in any way she could but it was useless.

The first smack somehow felt different then the last time. Maybe it was because last time she was too busy screaming and raging to realize what was happening, but this time she was unfortunately fully aware. And that seemed to make it hurt more.

Garnet held the gemling to her lap firmly with one hand and kept swatting with the other hand. Same position as last time but it was so different. Where before she was just looking for any way to hurt the gem in her anger, right now it was out of genuine concern and love. Peridot had nearly gotten herself killed and if a smacked bottom was what it took to keep the gemling alive and with them, then so be it.

Peridot started to cry faster then before. The guilt alone was enough to bring the tears on and the pain made them fully start flooding down her green cheeks. "Mother!" She squirmed, she struggled, but it was useless. The gemling started to fully sob. Her legs kicked out and thrashed in the air. Pleads were just as useless as trying to get away from her. "I'm sorryyy! Mother!"

Garnet grimly ignored the sobs of the young gem and kept bringing her hand down swiftly on her backside as the cries increased and the struggling decreased for the next long minute. Eventually the small gem just buried her face in her arms and laid there limply. Sharply inhaled noises heaved from her tiny shoulders as a river of tears soaked Garnet's knees. She hardly noticed that the spanking had stopped.

The fusion pulled up the weepy green thing. Her face was covered in tears and the copious amounts of mucus that had run from her nose as she sobbed aloud. It was exactly like before, but what was different was how quickly and tenderly Garnet brought the gemling into her chest this time. Peridot buried her face in and muffled the sharp sounds into her uniform. She tried to stop sobbing but it was impossible. Between the stinging in her rump, the guilt, and the overwhelming frustration, there was no chance.

"It...isn't...fair!" the tearful gem hollered into her mother's chest. Garnet blinked a little in confusion but ran a hand down the tiny quivering back.

"What isn't fair?"

"You can all...do what you want with your stupid...gems! I-I can't even get mine to glow..."

The heartbroken cries tore something deep inside the fusion and she felt herself on the verge of tears as well. She hadn't seen Peridot cry like this in a while, and truth be told...there was nothing that Garnet could do for her. She could console and cuddle her all she wanted but there was nothing that could fix the problem at hand: Peridot's gem was completely defected. They knew that wholeheartedly now. ...And there was nothing that could be done for her.

"I'm sorry, Peridot," Garnet said honestly. "I don't know...if your gem will ever work," she admitted. The child's face crumpled in grief. "But I can tell you, you aren't useless. You've helped us in ways you don't even realize."

"And how's that now?" Peridot snapped. She was forced to look up as Garnet cupped her face.

"You reminded me, you reminded _us_...that anyone can change. No matter what their background is, and no matter who they are and what they've done. No one is beyond redemption. That's how you've helped." She smiled lovingly at the babe. "And if it weren't for that, we wouldn't even consider giving Jasper a chance...and I wouldn't have a cute little gemling."

Peridot flushed and smiled through her tears. She leaned her cheek against her mother's chest and cupped Jasper close as Garnet gave her back.

"If anyone can talk sense into Jasper, I trust it would be you." Garnet gently set the gem child back on the ground and smoothed her hair again. "And I imagine after all this time, your big orange babysitter will be happy to see you." Peridot giggled.

"I'm going to make sure Steven is okay and try to fix up the house. Jasper stays in here regardless whether or not you get through to her. I don't trust her around Steven." Her gaze turned somewhat stern. "And you, gemling, are going to apologize to Amethyst and Pearl when you come out. You worried them about as sick as you did me."

"I understand..." Peridot mumbled. She blinked as Garnet leaned down to kiss her hair and she touched her hair in confusion, looking back at the woman as she made her way through the door. It was just her and Jasper. The stone glinted in her palm and Peridot sighed as it started to glow.

"For both of our sake, please don't be stubborn this time..."


	10. Memories

_(So I know it's been a while and I'm sorry, but I just wanna say first and foremost that passive aggressive reviews or private messages are not going to make me update any faster. I'm having a hard time with things. I'm currently recovering from surgery at the moment. And I must say, in regards to a rude guest review that told me since I left college now I could update my stories, that updating fanfiction after you've just had to throw away your future while suffering a painful disease and depression is not the first thing that crosses my mind, asshole._

 _Really, I love my reviewers and fans, but I can't always write. And it's very hard to have the muse when you're both ill and have little new content in SU dryspells, and therefore not much inspiration. Because this just in, guys, writing takes a lot. A lot of time, energy, creativity and mental capacity. None of which I have much of right now. So please just be patient. I'll update when I can, and no "Shattered Realities" is not being abandoned. It's just taking longer._

 _Anyway, I hope you're all doing well and anxious for the new episodes to come. ^^)_

* * *

 _It was a bit unusual to see a soldier this far out in Blue Diamond's sector. It was even more unusual to see that it was a Jasper. But this Jasper paid no mind to the rules. At least in honor of the holiday._

 _Normally, a Jasper would never even be out past her guard point, but this was the annual_ Tri-Diamond Cooperation Lenience Quarter. _It was too festive a name for her liking, but it allowed her free roam of the entire Homeworld, so she paid no mind to it. There were other things she had her focus on. Stars were aligned perfectly that night._

 _Stars. She spent her entire existence soaring past them in ships in favor of the planets that surrounded them to conquer. Always sprinkled around her in patterns that she never bothered to memorize in the maps- she was a soldier, not a cartographer. Gaseous balls of light. They should have been of no consequence to her. Why were they so interesting now? Jasper didn't know why, but she had to see them closer._

 _The wind brushed against her face as she climbed up another level of the tower. The highest tower on Homeworld (besides the Diamond's Headquarters, of course, a sacred site that she would never insult by climbing), a basis for Blue Diamond's court to have their daily meetings. It was a substantial height, and opened up to the entire atmosphere. It would be perfect to see the stars._

 _Jasper craned her neck to look and see how close she was, and grinned as she neared the top. Her back tensed as she leaned to grasp a brick- o_ _nly for her hand to slip. A sound didn't escape her, but her eyes widened and she felt the rush of air begin to plunge past her as she fell._

 _A beat, and what sounded like a mixture of flapping wings and splashing water as another hand gripped hers tightly._

 _Lapis always enjoyed this tower, if just to look at the stars. The stars and the other planets. She had always wondered what was out there, what more was there to explore then this dreary planet of indoctrined individuals, but as it was, the water gem was only lucky enough to make it to other planets only when there were missions. There was never any time or allowance for free exploration, and she didn't want her Diamond to think she questioned her loyalty to her. So Lapis was left to wonder and wander._

 _She didn't think she'd be left to wonder with another gem though. Just by the color it was obviously a gem of Yellow Diamond's court. Not something she saw often, but internally she always referred to these large quartz as gem beasts. In fact, it was hard to resist wrinkling her nose up in disdain at the sight of her. She disliked many gems of the quartz variety. They were loud and obnoxious and just plain brutish. All they were built for was destruction and that was their sole purpose—destroy, fight, shatter._

 _Jaspers in particular were built solely for the Rebellion that every court was preparing for. Lapis didn't know much about it, nor did she care. Some gem had apparently realized how dull this place was and left it. Gathering the entire planet to kill them seemed a bit of an overreaction, but she could never voice that aloud._

 _"Hello?" came a snap from the quartz gem she was still holding. "You going to just stare off into space like an idiot?" Jasper pulled against Lapis's grip. "I was just fine without your help!"_

 _Ungrateful brute, Lapis surmised. She shrugged and started to loosen her grip until the Jasper found herself dangling._

 _Golden eyes widened as she clasped to the blue gem's hand. "Wait—don'tletgo!" she suddenly yelped, staring up at her. There was no life threatening danger in falling, but it would take her the entire quarter to reform in time. Lapis blinked in surprise before she smirked._

 _"Why not? You said you'd be just fine."_

 _"Well normally I would be, but-!"_

 _"...Buuuut?" The teasing in the brat's tone was enough to make Jasper want to punch her. The striped gem grit her teeth and felt her cheeks start to flush as she lowered her gaze._

 _"...If I fall I won't get to see the stars," she mumbled. The delicate blue hand in hers tightened to pull her up to the next tier of the tower. Immediately the giant stood and brushed herself off, straightening formally to greet the brat. "... Jasper," she announced. "Yellow Diamond's Militia. Cut 5-675. Facet Five." Despite the holiday, she was a soldier. Formalities were essential, especially against an aristocratic Gem._

 _Lapis curtsied at her, as she was supposed to do. So prim and proper and she hated it. "A pleasure to meet you, Jasper. My name is..." Suddenly an impish grin came to her face. "Find-out-yourself!" And with a flap, she soared up to the top of the tower, water droplets splashing the orange gem in the face._

 _The giant gem stared at the spot where the watery Gem had been standing, and then at the small dot that she had become soaring above her. Her fist clenched and anger filled her. How dare she treat this like some game! Formalities were no laughing matter! She couldn't leave without at least figuring out that brat's name in order to watch out during potential escort missions. She wouldn't want to be left with her on some ship._

 _"Okay, Find-Out-Yourself," she muttered. Her knuckles cracked as she stood to begin the final climb. "I will."_

 _It took longer then she would have liked, determination to best this brat (though she would never admit it) almost making her slip several times, but at last she clasped her hands to the marble of the final tier and pulled herself up to give the smug, stupid blue gem an acid glare. "How professional and mature of you. What a gemling."_

 _Lapis's attention was on the stars but she gave an almost innocent shrug. "Age isn't a factor to our biology, but I feel inclined to point out I'm older than you." Jaspers after all were only recently harvested for the war that was to take place. "You made it to the top though, so I'm Lapis. Lapis Lazuli."_

 _Jasper made a face. So she was an aristocrat after all. A Lapis, one of the snootiest gems high in Blue Diamond's court and always made sure others knew it. "I figured a proper little princess like a Lapis would be too high and mighty for games." She almost grinned when that finally seemed to nettle the blue gem._

 _"Well that's quite gemist of you!" Lapis snapped. "You don't know anything about me! You have no idea who I am and how I act!" She crossed her arms and scoffed. "What are you doing here, anyway? Here to destroy the tower are you?"_

 _Now Jasper was the one offended. "I see, just because I'm a Jasper I have to destroy everything, is that it?" Her fist clenched. "I won't lie, I wouldn't mind shattering that pretty little stone on your back."_

 _"Look up."_

 _"Huh?"_

"Look **up."**

 _Eyes narrowed in annoyance and confusion, Jasper finally slid her eyes up to the sky. ...And they widened. "...Whoa."_

 _The stars of their galaxy, normally scattered about the canvas of the sky were perfectly aligned together like well placed little diamonds twinkling together in a straight line. It was so entrancing that even Jasper found her eyes plastered to the sight as she rose to stand beside the other gem. "It's..."_

 _"...beautiful," Lapis finished. Jasper nodded in slow agreement and moved to sit down on the edge of the tower. Lapis looked down at the brute by her side, almost amazed by the fact she was suddenly so calm and almost excited by the stars above. ...Maybe she shouldn't be too quick to judge after all._

 _Staring at the sky a moment longer, Lapis sat next to the other gem in a moment of silence and rare tranquility between two opposing courts. It_ was _the_ Tri-Diamond Cooperation Lenience Quarter _after all._

* * *

Her head pounded as the memories faded, and she wasn't sure if they were hers or Jasper's. When they had exhausted themselves from fighting in one trapped mind, sleep sometimes came, and with it, dreams and memories of the past. Malachite was reaching the point of one mind as their thoughts and even their own words often bled into each other.

To Lapis the memory was just a grim reminder that first impressions were always correct. Jasper was a sadistic and hostile creature that thrived off of causing as much pain and destruction as possible. That was made perfectly clear during their journey to earth, where it seemed the orange gem just reveled in every moment she caused her to suffer.

Slowly, her surroundings came into view, and the first thing she saw was the chubby, happy face of a little boy she had missed so much. "Steven!" The child launched himself to her and she caught him, holding him close and running her hands through his hair.

"Lapis, you're okay! You're..." Suddenly the boy shoved away from her and looked nervously at her. "You're Lapis, right? Not Jasper?"

"I'm Lapis!" she laughed awkwardly as she pulled the boy in again. A thought dawning on her, she stared down at him in concern. "Wait, she's out?" She gasped and stood with Steven. "Oh stars, did she hurt you? Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." He nestled into her. "She's out but Garnet's got her locked in a room. We locked her in there before she could hurt me. Although..." He looked down below, to many pieces of kindling that was once furniture. "Uhh, we couldn't stop her from hurting the house."

Lapis snorted. "Figures." Her eyes glazed over in a way Steven had never seen before. "Bubble her Steven. Get rid of her. No good will come from keeping her here. Break her gem."

Steven was taken aback. "Isn't that...a little harsh? I mean, shouldn't it at least be a last resort? We haven't even talked to her yet. Maybe we can reason with her!"

Lapis laughed bitterly. "There's no reasoning with a Jasper Steven. All they're built for is destruction, to cause pain." She wrapped her arms around herself, averting her gaze. "Trust me, I know."

"Well..." Steven bit his lip. "Give Peridot a chance to talk to her. It seems like they're kind of close from what she told me. I bet she can get through to her."

Lapis snorted. "There is no getting through to a Jasper, and there's no changing them." But sensing the boy becoming quite disheartened, she bit down on her tongue. "...We'll see."

* * *

Rather then reforming on her feet, the orange gem, still completely out of it, fell right to the floor. Her white mane of hair stuck up in all sorts of places, spiky as a porcupine. It looked more like the warrior gem had just fallen out of bed but Peridot didn't care.

"Jasper!" the gemling cried as she jumped forward and attached herself to the orange gem's large chest. "It's really you! It's you, it's you, I can't believe it!"

Stunned, Jasper stared down at the tiny green thing before lightly knocking her off. "Get off me, runt!" she groused. The baby gem tumbled to the floor and landed onto her backside. It was a short fall that normally wouldn't hurt her if not for certain circumstances, and tears filled her eyes as the sting in her rear was reignited. "Ow," she couldn't help but sob.

Almost instantly the annoyance was gone from Jasper's face as she suddenly grabbed the green gem under her arms and held her out, standing up with her. "Ow? Ow what? What's wrong? You didn't even fall a full foot!" Fire flared in her eyes. "Are you hurt? Did those treacherous pebbles _hurt_ you?"

"No!" Peridot blurted out. "I mean, they did, but—it's not what you think! I deserved it!"

Jasper bristled and held the child out further like she was a bomb. _"What?"_

"I...I...disobeyed an order," she gulped out. "An order that I was to..." She yelped as Jasper suddenly gave her a fierce shake and just about pressed her face against the other's, searing orbs staring into Peridot's quivering ones.

"An order?" she demanded quietly. "What order? You take orders only from me. I wasn't _here_ to give you any _orders."_

"No, I know—but Mother said..." Jasper dropped her and thankfully she landed on her feet. Peridot's breath hitched when she realized her fatal mistake.

 _"What?"_ Jasper practically whispered. The child was frozen in fear. "You don't have a mother. Gems don't have mothers. Only this pathetic squishy species of humans are helpless enough to need mothers. So who the _hell_ did you designate as your mother?"

Peridot was too afraid to speak, sweat dribbling off of her as she trembled. "...I...well, I wanted to speak to you about a few things-"

"WHO IS YOUR MOTHER?!" Jasper roared at the child. Peridot squinted her eyes shut but if she hadn't she probably would have detected what almost appeared to be jealousy on Jasper's face.

"GARNET!" she finally shouted, covering her eyes as shameful tears threatened to leak out. Jasper's eyes widened in shock as she backed away, the most betrayed look on her face.

"Jasp..." Peridot began, but yelped as the orange gem started to roar and slam her fist into the walls and flooring, trying to break them. Rather then cracks appearing on the surface, ripples appeared instead as the floors and walls remained completely in tact. "Jasper, you can't get out! This room is designed to hold bubbled and corrupted gems! You can't burst through the walls!"

Her words were unheard by the raging, screaming gem who finally gave up attacking her surroundings after nearly five exhausting minutes. Everything throbbed, her body nowhere near healed from Malachite. She sat down, turning her head away from the child. "...Go away."

Stricken, Peridot stepped back as she felt her little heart breaking. "What?"

"Go away."

"...Jasper..." Tears filled her eyes as she swallowed hard. "I haven't...seen you in...almost a year..."

"I SAID GO AWAY!"

Peridot quickly backed out of the room with a sob, turning to run the other way and instead bumping into the sturdy leg of her mother. She tried to get past her, but Garnet as always was faster and scooped her up.

"Peridot?" She held the baby close, concern coursing through her. "What's wrong, little one? Did she hurt you?" Fear struck her, instantly cursing herself. How could she leave a child with an angry warrior gem? Even if what Peridot had said about Jasper was true, the warrior was still heavily unstable. She should have known better.

"N-no," Peridot sobbed. "She hates me..." She buried her face into her hands and Garnet brushed her fingers through the babe's hair. "She...I don't wanna talk about it."

"I doubt that from what you told me." She smiled and kissed the tot's mint colored hair. "She's probably confused. Give her time, okay? Now..." She tapped Peridot's nose and smiled at the way the gemling wrinkled it in annoyance. "I think you owe some more apologies, little gem." Peridot's face fell, green eyes averted away from where Pearl and Amethyst were squabbling in the kitchen, trying to figure out how to make food.

"Nnnn..." was all the gemling could mumble as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She didn't want to talk to anyone right now, but she definitely didn't want to risk angering the fusion further. And she wouldn't pretend she didn't feel awful for refusing to listen to her...family?

"Amethyst, you aren't supposed to put the box into the pan as well."

"Why not? I eat boxes all the time."

"Steven is half human! He can't digest cardboard!" Pearl huffed at the purple gem. Amethyst responded by taking a handful of flour and blowing it into Pearl's face. "Hey!" But giggles erupted from the both of them, something that Garnet couldn't help but smile at seeing. Their family had been through so much lately; laughter was almost a rarity now.

"The kitchen was just cleaned, you two." Garnet paused to look at the wreckage that was left from Jasper. "Well, what's left of it. Anyway, I think a certain little gemling has something to say." The child in her arms shrunk further into her with a pout.

Peridot shifted uncomfortably as she felt her mouth go dry. "I... Well I'm...I'm sorry!" she blurted. "I mean..." She tried to compose herself. Just because she was a gemling, it didn't mean she had to act the part. "I...apologize. I know saving me set you back on your mission and now you may never find the Tiger Eye...because of me. And—whoa!" She yelped as Amethyst suddenly grabbed her.

"Nerd!" Amethyst gave her a bounce. "Is that what you think, we're upset because the monster got away? We're just worried about you and that you'd get liquefied before we had a chance to save you!"

Pearl wiped flour from her own face and dusted it off the counter. "And of course we forgive you. All that matters is you're alright now." She took Peridot in an arm and the gemling's face turned down in a slight scowl at the way she was being passed back and forth like a toddler.

"Yeah, but if the Tiger Eye does come back, we'll make sure we sic it onto you for letting it get away in the first place," Amethyst added as she formed her hand into a claw and rose it above the nervous child.

"Oh Amethyst, you're scaring her!"

"Nah, if I wanted to scare her, I'd do this..."

Garnet started up the stairs, looking back as Peridot gave a loud squeal and dissolved into high pitched laughter and protests as the purple gem caught and noogied her fiercely. Seeing that the child was content and being cared for, she moved onto her next concern, Steven.

The boy was resting against his bed frame ad staring down at a blue figure sprawled out on the bed and completely fast asleep. The bags under her eyes just showed how exhausted she was, as anyone would be after their ordeal.

"I see your friend has reformed."

"Yeah..." Steven grabbed a fold of his hotdog blanket and pulled it up over Lapis's sleeping figure. She didn't even flinch. "She woke up but she was just so tired that she fell asleep again on my bed." He sat down next to his friend. "I'm really worried about her."

"She's been through a lot, Steven," Garnet reminded him as she sat down and looped an arm around the child. "They both have, and it's going to be a while until they're okay. Lapis is really going to need you."

"What about Jasper?" Even if the warrior gem had been so cruel to them all, the child's pure heart couldn't hate anyone and he worried for her just as much. "She's got Peridot, right? So she okay?"

"Well...the two are having issues right now," Garnet admitted. "I didn't get any specifics out of Peridot but I imagine that Jasper finding out she's one of us is going to be hard for her. But if Peridot believes in Jasper then I suppose we should try too."

Steven looked back at his sleeping friend. She looked incredibly peaceful for the first time and it was nice not to see a frown marring her face. "Lapis seems really angry with Jasper...but it did look like she treated her really bad. And we don't even know what happened before they even got to earth..."

Garnet sighed. "That's true. We're going to have to do a lot of work with them both once everything calms down." She ruffled the boy's dark curls affectionately. "Think you're ready for it, cutie pie?"

He giggled, impishly climbing up onto her puffy curls and patting them. He puffed his chest out proudly. "I'm ready for anything! There's nothing Steven Universe can't do!" He let out a giggling puff of air as Garnet poked him in the belly, deflating him.

"That's good, because I have a feeling that what awaits us downstairs is something that only Steven can do."

"What's that?"

Garnet leaned over the railing to watch a mushroom cloud of flour go up as shouts and laughter was heard as Pearl attempted to use a poor squealing Peridot as a shield. "Complete anarchy."


	11. Jasper and Lapis

_(Wow, I got like twenty two reviews in my last chapter. That's...amazing! I'm so thrilled I've gathered so many followers. I hope you all love what I have planned in store, because this chapter is very different. We aren't yet at the arc of my favorite relationship I'm building up for, but as I had a writer's block for what this chapter was meant to be, I decided to peak some excitement and curiosity for the arc that's to come soon. This fic did start as just Peridot's relationship with everyone, but with the arrival of our other Homeworldies, this fic has shifted slightly and there's going to be focus on pretty much every significant relationship of this show. But of course Peridot is still the star._

 _So if at the end of this chapter you're all left screaming with your mind reeling with questions (that I add, will not be answered for a while)-as we typically are every SU episode, then I did my job. ;p Enjoy)_

* * *

"No one ever wants to stay when they know my name." Lapis had her arms crossed and her eyes averted as she turned away from the warrior gem. "I'm a Lapis, so automatically everyone assumes because I'm the closest to working alongside Blue Diamond, I'm a regal that's simply too good and above everyone else."

Jasper had her head tilted back to look at the stars, but she rested her chin on her fist in pondering. Well, she supposed she could sympathize with that. She was a Jasper, primarily made for the approaching war with the build and strength of a giant. It never particularly bothered her that everyone on Homeworld automatically vilified her. Fear meant respect and she wasn't looking for any friends. This Lazuli didn't seem to be that way.

Jasper hummed." Guess you're still pissed about the 'snooty princess' comment. I'm a Quartz, so we insult everyone equally," she said simply. "No discrimination there."

The blue gem's lips cracked up into a playful smile. "So...you insult yourselves then too?"

At that the warrior scoffed and puffed up. "Why would we? We're the exception. We're the best of the soldiers and every sector knows it." Her chest inflated out pridefully, and Lapis couldn't help but glance a little south.

"And are you all so impressively chested?" She leaned forward with a smirk, dying to see the oh-so-tough Jasper's face to flush that dark red again.

She succeeded as Jasper yelped and backed up, throwing an arm around her chest and an affronted look to the smirking bluenette. "Stop looking at my chest, you perverted Lazuli!"

"Oh I'm sorry." Lapis's blue eyes shimmered dolefully as she tucked her arms behind her back. "Would you like to stare at mine as revenge?"

Jasper's lips tilted, and she glanced down. The glint returned to her eye and she tried to fight back a smirk. "Not much revenge, I'm afraid." The tidal wave that she was suddenly assaulted with was worth the insult as the brute sputtered laughing at Lapis's indignant look as her wings buzzed like an angry bee. She wiped the water from her eyes and almost had to giggle at how dark the gem's face had gotten.

"Oh now who's the flushing one?"

"You really _are_ cruel..."

* * *

"Facet Five, Jasper..." The dull drawl of Yellow Diamond rang out in the control room as golden eyes shifted between screens. "You have been assigned to one of Blue Diamond's nobles for an escort mission."

"Yes, my Diamond," Jasper responded automatically, posed professionally before the gigantic gem.

"A ship will be waiting to deliver you both to the designated area outside."

"Yes, my Diamond."

"Good Jasper." Yellow Diamond didn't bother to spare a glance as she clicked in a code and the sound of doors behind her opened. "Blue Diamond's informant should be here any moment now. Make quick introductions and leave my area."

Jasper tried not to sigh out loud in front of her leader, but it was difficult to hold back her disdain knowing she was going to be babysitting one of Blue Diamonds little brats. She had no idea if it was going to be one of those know-it-all (literally) Sapphires, or a Turquoise but it was sure to be a hell mission regardless—especially if she had to show respect and diplomacy to the little mite. _The Tri-Diamond Co-operation Lenience Quarter_ was the very next day and all she'd have to do was bear one last tedious mission before she could finally get a break.

"Greetings, noble of her majesty Blue Diamond," the warrior drawled out like a drone. "I will be accompanying you—my name is..." Wide orange eyes met starry blue and she felt the air escape her. "Jasper..."

The way Lapis's eyes lit up as she stared at the warrior made Jasper feel a strange mixture of things she hadn't recalled since the year before, and her face immediately burned. She tried to keep her composure and glanced behind her at Yellow Diamond, who was still impassively staring at her screens. Relief filled the giant gem and she turned back, only to bristle in surprise as the other had gotten closer.

Jasper glanced back again and shook her head, waving her hands quickly in front of her to dissuade any kind of interaction. She didn't need to give it away! _Not here! Not here!_

The blue gem bounced in the spot with those happy stars, looking ready to jump until she noticed sharp, cat-like eyes studying her suspiciously. She straightened and tried to keep the squeal out of her voice. "Pleasure to meet you, Superior."

Jasper quelled her worry and used her resolve to school her face into an impassive visage. She gave a curt nod. "Greetings." She had to merely glance behind her and eye Yellow Diamond's Pearl to make the thin figure start and retreat back to her master's side. _Nosy Pearl..._

"Jasper," Yellow Diamond's voice spoke and it made the Quartz nearly swallow her tongue in surprise. "Introductions have been made, I assume. So leave and carry on with the mission."

"Yes, my Diamond!" She looked to Lapis and tilted her head to the door. "We should go."

"We should," came Lapis's all but squeaked response as she flapped forward to the ship as fast as possible, practically bouncing in the air. She turned to look back at Jasper, still hovering, hand over her mouth, stars in her eyes and fighting with all she had to maintain her restraint.

 _No, not now!_ Jasper had to mouth as she stomped by the water gem. The energy that radiated from the noble was easy to recognize, and she was concerned that it would draw the wrong attention. Since when would a Lazuli be excited at the sight of a Quartz?

The blue gem tried to put her feet on the ground, but she only curled back up in excitement, and realizing she couldn't curb it, she simply slipped out of view from the monarch and her sidekick. Literally floating on air, her wings simply refused to co-operate. The flapping of them only intensified.

Jasper rolled her eyes and hurriedly shut the doors. Auto pilot sensed it and the engines started to whirr, levitating the vessel. She instinctively felt her body begin to tense as they began to fly, anticipating a lot of Lapis Lazuli all at once. "Lapis, don't-"

The flaps were so loud and sudden at once, building up air and speed so the gem could charge, and charge she did, utterly flying into Jasper like an arrow and sending them both somersaulting to the other side of the ship. _"JASPER~!"_

Jasper barely caught them from slamming into the wall with a hand as the other wrapped around the water gem's waist. The small noble was plastered against her side like she was fused there, and even if she was annoyed, the warrior couldn't stop a grin as she leaned down and pressed their cheeks together.

"Brat, you gotta keep it down! We haven't even left the port yet!" she remarked, though there was a chuckle to it.

Lapis's wings continued to flap in joy, going so fast it became nothing more then a watery blur. They acted like a propeller and moved the two along the floor without her even trying.

The warrior's large hand managed to dig into the ground and clench around metal to keep them still, though hovering a few inches off the ground from the speed of Lapis' wings. She worried the stupid dork was going to wind up lifting them up in window range. How would that be explained to the Diamonds?

"Lapis- Lapis, stop- Lapis!" She desperately reached towards one of the chairs for leverage to keep them from going completely airborne. "Lapis—calm down— _Lapis!"_ Jasper growled out and pressed a kiss to the other's lips to keep her still.

It stilled the flapping, letting them fall with a gentle thud as the blue gem's eyes squinted shut in joy as she kissed back. Her gem blared with light, and suddenly began to project blue hearts...everywhere.

Jasper groaned in exasperation, but it trailed off as she lost herself in molding against Lapis' soft lips. She let go of the dented metal on the floor to rest the other palm on the small gem's lithe back. Her own gem glinted suddenly and it made her eyes pop open and she flushed hard in the kiss as orange hearts had joined the mess of blue ones.

The hearts were out of control, excited, reunited gemstones seemingly having a mind of their own as they popped out everywhere until almost nothing could be seen around them but a mess of holographic hearts.

"Oh shards, oh stars!" Jasper groaned as she tried to smack the projections out of existence. "Floating gem hearts in the window, that's not going to raise suspicion or anything! Lapis, ease off on the hearts or I'm going to have to poof you!" Her face darkened red when she saw a crowd of floating orange ones "And...myself."

"I'm sorry-I'm just so-!" Excited squeaks was cut off by her own inability to speak, the joyful stars in her eyes lined with happy tears. Although she stilled the wings, she couldn't do so with her bounces.

"Excited? I can tell! Calm down! You see me, right?" Jasper stood and held her arms out to let her get a look at her. She turned around and her arms fell to her side. "I'm not going anywhere. We have a mission, and then the next cycle is the _Tri-Diamonds Cooperation Lenience Quarter._ We'll have two days together."

The blue gem continued to buzz excitedly and nuzzle at the warrior's face until she finally chuckled.

"Okay! Look, I'll make this easy for you." She flopped to the ship's floor again, spread out for the excited noble. "Get your cuddles in before we reach our destination." She didn't need to ask twice and chuckled as her little Lazuli flopped onto her and tucked her hair around her like a blanket. The much dreaded mission was going to be something they had both been waiting for.

* * *

"I love you...more then the freedom that I want so bad. I would stay here forever on this planet I hate if it just meant I could always be with you."

"Really? Just... for me?"

"Maybe someday we don't have to be afraid to be us."

* * *

If only she had known that her secret companion wasn't safely back in Homeworld like she thought; wasn't filing reports for Blue Diamond or scoping out new planets to build a colony on. As it was, Jasper didn't pay any heed to what scattered on the battlefield.

Shards of her own army and shards of the traitors littered a land now stained with blood and alight with fire. Every step was just walking on more fragments of shattered bodies from the fallen. Even if it was the enemy, Jasper couldn't take any real pleasure in it. Death was death and there was no such thing as a good war.

The sparkling shards of glass mingled in the sand would be such a pretty sight if it didn't signify the death of thousands. And from what she knew, there was going to be so much more.

"Shame they had to make it come to this," she sneered as she watched a sword stab through one of the Crystals in the distance. The gem didn't even have a chance to fall into the sand before it was crushed in a warrior's fist. "If they all hadn't just been so fucking _stupid..."_

A blaring alarm sounded through the air to alert the rest of the army that the end was nigh. Soon the ultimate weapon was going to be fired and she didn't feel like being in the range of it. Chaos ensued as gems and humans alike panicked, but panic would do nothing to prevent the inevitable.

"Move!" the general ordered, lifting her battle axe into the air. "Move out! Now! _Now!"_

Gems and herself panicked to escape as the alarm continued to blare and heat began to build up from the distant charging of a laser. If she had stopped to look down she might have seen the delicate mirror as it lay in the dirt.

But all Lapis was able to see as she silently screamed for help, was the boot of her own mate that carelessly stepped onto the glass, as her vision faded to black and the earth faded to a piercing white.


	12. New Custody

_(Hey guys. I know, the next day huh? Boy I'm on a roll. Be cool if it stays that way. I'm surprised by so much positive reception I got last chapter and I had to laugh at people yelling at me "YOU MADE ME SHIP JAPIS". For one, making an anti ship something they once hated is like the highest honor in itself, but it's also one of my talents. ;p I'm quite known with my friends to make them love either a character or ship they once hated. I've gotten so many reviews, but it's upsetting that there's so many I can't respond to. XD I'm pretty bad at responding to compliments over all but when I do have something to finally say it's usually a guest. XD I wish FF let me respond to guest reviews..._

 _So this chapter ended up having way more self expression then I meant it to do, but it fits well since both Peridot and I are going through a period of questioning our existence and meaning in this life. You might notice a lot of what I'm feeling in dialogue of certain characters, but I find it adds to the story over all. ...And helps me a little.)_

* * *

What even are most of these buttons? _Was Jasper's only thought as she surveyed the advanced technological machinery around her. "Why are there so many screens? Who needs fifty two screens? WHO NEEDS FIFTY TWO OF ANYTHING?!" The sheer volume of the giant's voice made the baby gem jump but she had grown used to it._

 _"You clearly do not understand the capacity needed to fully surveillance the entire ship," Peridot scoffed out. "You think just one screen will monitor every inch of this vessel? Granted, it's not likely that we'd have any intruders. I mean, it's a vessel of our Diamond!" the gemling exclaimed, like it wasn't totally obvious by the blaring logo on the side of it._

 _"Well, it's more of a vessel of mine," the little green mastermind chuckled. "I mean, I mean no disrespect to our Diamond, I'm sure she could fabricate a ship almost as nice as this—but Peridots after all specialize in this sort of thing after all." The gemling straightened proudly on her limb enhancers as she gestured around._

 _"The panel's laser enhancements were done by no one other as brilliant as me of course," the child bragged as her larger superior rolled her eyes heavily. Peridot didn't even notice Jasper was mocking her with her hand. "Not that what Yellow Diamond had programmed weren't substantial enough, but things could always use a little bit of sprucing up."_

 _The bored Jasper rested her head in her hands. "Ugh, stop pretending you're this big shot scientist that doesn't have to use stilts just to reach her own pilot chair, and isn't only like...a month old." She snickered as the affronted baby whirled around to glare at her. "Oh yeah, and little genius? ...There's smoke coming from one of your monitors there."_

 _"What?!" Peridot shrieked. She was on her feet in moments and scrambling over to the sparking monitor as it malfunctioned and jittered. "Oh what's going on? I double tested these, they're fine! Did you do something?!"_

 _Jasper scoffed. "Oh that's something nice to accuse your Superior, you little..." A sudden explosion cut her off. It rocked the vessel and was large enough to even catch Lapis's attention in her cell just down the corridor. Jasper coughed and brushed away some smoke in the air. "What did you do, lima bean, set off some dynamite?"_

 _If anything she expected to see the triangle gem on the floor and her eyes widened at the sight of the charred gemling curled up whimpering. "The hell?" Jasper bounded over to the baby, alarmed and horrified at the sight of her injuries. Injuries were not something that was seen often among their kind, simply because the moment a gem did get injured they would retreat for regeneration. ...But the child did not._

 _"Peridot!" Jasper exclaimed as she fell to her knees beside the gemling. The explosion had blown off one of the child's limb enhancers, but Jasper yanked them off regardless to see the rest of the damage. Her uniform was burned in places and so was her face. Green ooze she supposed was her blood dripped from several burns on her face and arms. "What the hell is going on? Regenerate before you completely fall apart!"_

 _The gemling shivered in agony and croaked out a sound of pain before strangled crying escaped her. Jasper was panicking. She didn't know how to help the baby or if she even could. She needed something for the burns. She also had to check the ship over to make sure it didn't start to plummet._

 _"...Lapis!" She whirled to look down the hall, where as always, the blue gem had her back turned to her, but even she seemed piqued at the sound and smell of smoke. "Lapis, I need help!"_

 _The bluenette's tone was as chillingly cold as always. "I don't want to talk to you..."_

 _"Then don't!" Jasper snapped, and to Lapis's surprise, she punched in the combo to unlock her cell. "Just help me!" At the scoff that received she snorted. "Help me if you ever want to see freedom again!" A more desperate plead. "Something is wrong with the kid!"_

 _Admittedly even Lapis was taken aback by the grissly sight of the child's injuries. "What in the stars happened to that gem?" She winced as what could only be green blood dripped from the open sores on the babe onto her hands. Wiping off the blood she pulled Peridot's visor off so she could clean her face. "Guessing your precious Diamond didn't equip you with some emergency supplies?" she drawled._

 _Jasper snarled. "Instead of insulting my superior how about you tell me what the hell I do?" She was already searching for some sort of medical supplies but such a thing was hardly needed when their species was one that could normally heal itself._

 _Finally able to stretch, Lapis checked to make sure the coordinates were set right. Thankfully the explosion had been only a small internal one. It merely charred the floor...and of course one little gem's face. "Call your Diamond and tell her the mission needs to be cancelled because you have a dud Peridot," she suggested coldly. She only had a second to move to the side as Jasper's fist slammed the wall she was standing against._

 _"Don't call her that," the warrior snarled, hand withdrawing to prop the child better up in her arms. "She isn't a defect and you know as well as I do if they take her back then...she isn't coming back."_

 _Jaded as she was, Lapis didn't want to see or think about the termination of a child. It was impossible for the pain on the kid's face not to invoke some sympathy. "I'll help you. Temporary truce." She took Peridot into her own arms and sat to wrap a fold of her dress around the baby's wounds to stop the bleeding. "The burns aren't bad thankfully. It's just the bit of bleeding that makes it look like it is. She'll be fine, but I don't know how well she'll heal without being able to help herself along. At least her gem isn't hurt."_

 _Peridot for the time being forgot the Lapis Lazuli was her enemy as she curled into the arms that held her and shielded her face in the bluenette's dress._

 _"I don't think you can protect her forever," Lapis intoned quietly, letting more emotion then her usual indifference show to the large warrior. "You can't fix something that wasn't meant to work in the first place."_

 _Jasper's fists clenched until they became white and she abruptly snatched the child away from the other gem. Her head was low and bangs fell over her face to shield it from view. "Just go back to your cell," was all she snarled quietly. She passed a hand over Peridot's eyelids to coax her to sleep. Gems didn't need it, but it wasn't like this kid was a regular gem anyway._

* * *

Tired golden eyes widened. She didn't even know at what point she had fallen asleep honestly. It was embarrassing. Since when did she ever need something as trivial as sleep? Of course it wasn't like there was much else to do in a room with only a pit of fire as her only company. She hardly even had her strength left from Malachite. It waned out so easily.

 _Had to take everything away from me, didn't you Lazuli?_ And the infuriating Crystal Gems. It wasn't enough that they took away her freedom, but they had to take Peridot away as well. Her eyes narrowed just as the door slid open, and they grew colder when she saw who it was.

"Jasper, we need to talk," Peridot ordered. Her tone left no room for negotiation but Jasper merely rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she muttered, picking up a stone and tossing it in the lava. "So talk, but don't expect me to reciprocate."

"It's been four days Jasper!" Peridot exclaimed as she ran over. "Four days and you won't talk to me! I haven't seen you since our ship crashed! And I...I was scared you were dead this entire time."

"And so was I!" Jasper snarled. "Oh but of course not, you've got your _mommies_ to take care of you now," she mocked. "So of course you'd be fine."

"Stop acting like I don't care about you anymore!" Peridot shouted at her. "You'd still be in the ocean if it weren't for me! Or stuck in one of Garnet's bubbles." Jasper didn't turn back to her and the gemling refused to be ignored. She jumped onto Jasper's back like a stubborn tick.

"STOP IGNORING ME! I remember, you know?!" Her voice cracked. "I remember how much you cared about me! I remember you taking care of me! I remember the explosion—I NEVER FORGOT!"

"Yeah, and look HOW YOU THANKED ME!" Jasper roared as she suddenly ripped the child off her back and threw her to the ground. Peridot cried out in pain as she hit the hard surface and stared at her caretaker with shock. Judging by the wide eyed look on the warrior's face, she didn't expect it either. But her eyes still narrowed.

"You sided with them. You turned on me. You turned on your own home. You betrayed us all." She lowered her head, the next words to come out ones she would regret for years to come: "You really _are_ a defect."

The hard landing had nothing on the stab of pain that suddenly hit the gemling in the heart. It took away her air and she clutched to her chest. She shook her head slowly in denial. She heard wrong. "You didn't just say that. ...You wouldn't!"

But Jasper never turned around.

A strange noise escaped the gemling as she felt her heart fall to pieces into the pit of her stomach and she tripped in her haste to get away, sobbing. The door closed before she could see Jasper silently bury her face in her hands.

She stumbled back into the main room of the temple, which was silent and vacant. Steven was in town with Lazuli and the others had left to see if they could track down the Tiger Eye. They wouldn't miss her. ...They didn't need her. They were better off without a defect like her. Her confidence was shaken and her self esteem dashed to the ground by the one gem that always used to help her keep it raised high.

The child just ran blindly and burst through the door, increasing her speed until she was on all fours just dashing through the sand. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care, as long as it was far far away where she wouldn't be a burden on anyone ever again.

A blur of colors that streaked by only gave her a hint of where she was, but slowly the sand and water gave way to buildings. And she was going too fast to see if she recognized any of them. She curved in her run, trying to get away from people and fearing that she'd run into her brother and Lazuli. Going so fast, she didn't see what was ahead of her, and ended up being clothes-lined by a thin wire. It cut into her arms before tossing her forward.

Peridot landed hard in the dirt in a patch of something green, but the adrenaline had worn off and now all she was left with was a crippling despair. The child buried her face in the dirt and just sobbed aloud.

"Damn raccoons," a voice hissed as a shotgun was loaded. "I told ya if I caught your hides in my bean plants one more time, I'd make hats out of them!" The woman aimed her gun towards the garden, but dropped it when she realized whatever was tangled in her bean vines was not a raccoon.

"...Why is there a green toddler crying in my garden?" Vidalia blinked. "Well I sure as heck ain't shooting you." She stepped over the wire to lean down next to the baby. "Hey, hunny? What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Peridot whimpered and tried to draw away into a little ball. "Hey, hey, calm down now. I won't hurt you."

Vidalia scooped up the child. Peridot only half-heartedly fought her for a moment before just falling weakly against her chest in tears. "Shhh...poor little thing. Why, you look like one of my beans come to life." Vidalia stepped out of the garden and pressed a kiss to the tot's hair. "Look at ya, you look like me! Well, minus the green skin." She started back to the house. "ONION! Set an extra plate down will you, hun? We've got company."

Vidalia cradled the sobbing child as she walked out into the kitchen. "You're all dirty, hunny. We'll get you cleaned up and get you something to eat." She sat the baby down on the counter and wet a cloth for her face. "You're a gem I'm guessing, or a child with a very rare skin condition."

"Not a gem," Peridot mumbled into her knees, refusing to look up. "Not anything. Just...useless. Nothing..." She trailed off with a yelp as Vidalia gently swat her nose.

"Now you stop that," she scolded gently. "Sounds like some little one is going through a hard time. Well I've got just one question for you. Do you like pudding?"

Peridot hesitantly raised her head. "I...I don't know what that is."

"Mm-mm, well you're in for a treat! My son makes the best pistachio pudding in the world. It'll knock those little socks off off your feet." She wiggled one of the child's toes and was pleased to hear a small giggle. "This is my little bundle of trouble, Onion." She gestured to her small bulb-shaped child making voodoo dolls out of celery sticks. "My other trouble should be coming down the stairs any moment."

"Mom?" Sour Cream stared at the small green thing in his mother's arms. "Did you adopt another lizard again? ...With hair? And...clothes?"

Vidalia chuckled. "I was just telling the little bean here that you make the best pistachio pudding! I think some little sad face is in need of it."

At that Sour Cream smiled. "I sure do. Onion puts...mustard in his for some reason, but I prefer whipped cream as a topping." He looked at Peridot, seemingly easily accepting this new guest into their home. "You like pistachios little bean?"

"I've...never had any," Peridot admitted. "I don't know what they are." She wiped the remaining tears on her face and stared as a porcelain bowl was put in front of her. She made a face at the mushy, goopy looking texture. "I...didn't know food could be this type of consistency. It's so...strange and green. Is it made from those things in your garden?"

"Beans?" Vidalia laughed. "Now that would be some nasty of a pudding. Nah, there's all sorts of green foods, with different tastes. Beans don't have a taste ideal for pudding...unless you're my son." She gestured over to where Onion was now throwing a bunch of beans into a blender.

"It gets better, little bean," Sour Cream told her. He shook some tin can and Peridot's eyes lit with stars as he sprayed a spiral of whipped cream in the center of her pudding and topped it with a cherry.

"Whoooa! It...it looks like a cloud," Peridot breathed out. "Is that a can of clouds?"

"Something like that." Sour Cream capped the bottle. "But I call it the magical fluffy stuff that just makes everything taste amazing. Try some!"

Peridot dipped a cautious finger into the cream and tasted it. Immediately the child all but dove her face into the fluffy cloud. Vidalia laughed.

"And I just cleaned your face too... So what's your name hunny? No, wait...lemmie see if I can guess." She studied the cut stone on the child's forehead. "You're a gem and it's green, so...Emerald?"

Peridot wrinkled her nose up. "They wish they were as superior as Peridots." Then her face fell. "Well...any other Peridots but me I guess."

Vidalia cast a worried glance to Sour Cream and then back to the baby. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?" The child merely shook her head and took another spoonful of pudding. "Alright hun, well, you don't have to. Sour Cream, why don't you show the little bean around? Show her some of your deejaying stuff?"

The teenager shrugged. "Okay, cool. Hey little bean, know anything about music?"

"Not much," Peridot admitted. "But...Steven does have a habit of breaking into random songs. Actually, so does everyone. So I guess I know a little bit." She followed him up the stairs. "How come your brother is very...um...strange?"

"Eh, he's not strange. He's just different, like...he puts ketchup on everything. Even water sometimes. But different is cool, you know. It makes the world go round." He led her into his room. "Mom prefers me doing my music out in the garage, but it's started really leaking in there lately."

Peridot was blindsided by all the different instruments, none of which she had ever seen before. "So these are what you use to make...cool sounds?" She plucked at a string on his guitar. "They all make different sounds?"

"Yep. I don't have a specific favorite, I just love them all." He sat down on his bed and plucked a string. "I guess I prefer my actual deejaying equipment but it can't all fit up here. So, I've just been working on some more mellow tunes." He started playing a few chords on his guitar. "Can you sing?"

"Sing?" Peridot shrugged. "I...guess. I don't do it often but I've tried."

"Good, because I need some lyrics to this tune." He strummed a few chords gently. The tune was far more melancholic then his songs normally were. "I was feeling pretty bad about myself one day. ...Doubted myself a lot, and what I could do."

Peridot's eyes widened. She stared at the boy. "You...were?"

"Yeah of course." Sour Cream shrugged sheepishly. "Doesn't everyone? We all underestimate ourselves and what we can really do. Everyone thinks they don't matter but...they really do. 'Cause if they didn't, the world wouldn't keep going 'round."

Peridot felt her eyes brim further. "But the world doesn't need me."

"The world needs everyone, little bean," Sour Cream told her. "If everyone felt the same way, that the world didn't need them then there would be no point to the earth existing at all. It exists for people to live on it. ...How do you think it would feel knowing that we don't want to be a part of it, when it still has so much to offer us?"

He glanced out the window, to where a stray dog was chasing a butterfly. "Just look at that dog out there. Carefree and happy, because animals are naturally born believing they exist here. They do all they can to survive. And that's gotta be hard. You can't speak or get a job or file taxes. Life seems so easy for animals but it's probably so hard. They do all they can to survive. And then here there are humans doing all they can just to die."

Peridot gave a small sob and Sour Cream put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "Hey, I still need some lyrics."

"I don't know what to sing," Peridot sniffled, listening to the teenager play his tune. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Sing what you're thinking," he told her. "Don't even think about it, just let your emotions go." He tossed her a mic, and the child caught it in her hands, blinking at it. "Just sing."

 _"Why ...why don't you believe_

 _Th...that I'm trying so hard to be_

 _What you want_

 _It's not my fault that I was made this way!_

 _Oh I do what you want_

 _I do my best to just get by_

 _Why can't you believe me when I say I try?"_

Tears flowed freely and she gripped the microphone. Sour Cream picked up the beat.

 _"I can't help if I'm not how I'm to be!_

 _There wasn't any instructions on how to be me!_

 _I wish as much as you that I wasn't this way!_

 _But when I was made I didn't have a say!"_

"That's right, little sister! Sing it—sing it with soul!"

 _"Why don't you believe that I'm trying so hard to be_

 _What you want_

 _It's not my fault that I was made this way!_

 _It's not...my fault...that I was made this way..."_

* * *

"Sooo...how did you enjoy the town?" Steven asked his friend as they arrived home, oodles of bags of goodies in their arms.

"It was fun," Lapis chuckled. "I mean...I guess I see why you like this place." She reached into one of the shopping bags and pulled out a squeaking rubber dolphin. "We saw a few of these underwater. ...It was funny, they kept trying to play with us but Jasper always refused and tried to make us eat one once."

"I thought you'd like the Ocean Treasure giftstore." Steven grinned. "I think it's Yellow Tail actually that finds a lot of cool stuff on his expeditions! Like this dried up starfish I got for Peridot! I know she'll love it. She really got attached to this starfish when we were out in the water once. Where is she anyway?"

The two looked around the dark house. Steven half expected to hear her griping at a video game in his room but he didn't hear a sound. "I don't see her anywhere." He clapped a hand to his face in distress. "Oh no! She didn't try to go after the guys again, did she? She'd get in so much trouble again!"

The gems appeared suddenly in a flash of light and Steven ran over. "Where's Peridot? Is she with you guys?"

Garnet raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. She knows better then that now." Concern came to her face. "You mean she isn't with you?"

"No! I mean, she wasn't in the temple when Lapis and I left. I figured she was just hanging out on her own somewhere. I mean, where else could she be?" His phone started ringing and he switched it on. "Huh? It's Vidalia. Well, I guess it's for you Amethyst." He tossed the phone to her.

"Vidalia! What up girl?"

"Let's not panic," Pearl said calmly, although any one of them knew her well enough to see she was trying not to scream. "She probably wandered somewhere on her own, or maybe she's somewhere in the temple. It's so big after all! We tracked her before, we can do it again."

"But that was when she had her limb enhancers." Garnet was clearly trying not to panic, as any mother would be thinking their child was missing. "They had a tracking device, she doesn't."

"GUYS!" Amethyst yelled. "I'm trying to listen here?" She put a hand over her ear to drown out their excited murmurs and her eyes widened. "Yo, Vidalia has Peridot! Haha, that made it sound like she kidnapped her or something..."

"What happened?" Garnet snapped.

"Apparently she found the little nerd in her garden." She went back to talking to her friend. "Well that's good. We were worried sick! Just drop her off and...huh? What? What do you mean you're not giving her back?!" Every gem froze. "Girl, you've got your own gremlins to watch over! Don't take ours!"

"Give me the phone!" Garnet snatched it from Amethyst without even asking.

"What do you mean she's keeping Peridot?" Pearl demanded. "Why does she want to keep her? We're perfectly capable caretakers!"

Amethyst sighed. "Apparently Peridot got hurt or something and she doesn't think it's good for her to come back here. And it sounds like Peridot doesn't even want to come back here for some reason... Man, what the heck happened while we were gone?!"

Pearl shook her head. "Well that's just ridiculous. Garnet can reason with her I'm sure. Right Garnet? ...Garnet?"

The fusion had suddenly frozen rigid, but the gems could easily feel the anger roll off her in palpable waves. It was such an uneasy feeling that they all backed up a step, studying her face and waiting for her to say something. The phone in her hand was suddenly crushed as easily as a paper box.

"Garnet!" Steven cried.

"I'll get you a new phone Steven." Without saying another word, Garnet stormed towards the center door like a gem on a mission. The gems gaped as she kicked through her own door. Judging by the orange figure that jumped, she was just as startled. The door reformed behind the woman and shut behind her with a final click as she stared into wide yellow eyes.

"You and me, we need to _talk."_


	13. Reconciliation

_(Two chapters in one day. I didn't think this was physically possible. But, well things went really bad today and I needed to desperately keep my mind off the world and my situation so I just let my fingers fly over the keyboard. But, heh, don't expect this every day. I'm not sure when my writing muse will run out but hopefully it doesn't!_

 _This unknowingly became like one of my favorite chapters? It's so packed with the right amount of action, suspense, pain, and fluff! There became a lot more parallels to chapter one then I meant honestly. It just came when I wrote and actually wound up being so incredibly different from what I had planned. Kinda what writing tends to do. So on we go!_

 _Slight warning: brief scene of corporal punishment on probably the one that deserves it the most. Yeah you all know who that is...)_

* * *

"Talk," Jasper repeated incredulously. She snorted and turned away immediately. "As if I'm interested in talking to the abomination of all people." Before Jasper knew it she was on her knees, crying out in pain as Garnet grabbed her hair and yanked her so she was level with her. "Ow! What the fuck?!"

"That wasn't a request," Garnet hissed very softly through her teeth."We are talking now, unless you want to end up in an unpleasant situation."

The warrior snarled threateningly but there wasn't much else she could do unless she wanted her hair to be torn from her scalp. Her gem flashed but the glow died quickly. She didn't have the strength to fight or even shift out of her grip. Not yet. She already knew Garnet as a fusion outranked her in strength. She would have no chance now.

"Stop treating me like a gemling!" she growled. "I'm not some little runt, I'm thousands of years old!"

At that Garnet smirked slightly. "If we're getting technical here, Jaspers were Quartz manufactured specifically for the war. Which means I'm still hundreds of years older then you. So you technically are 'younger.'" She narrowed her eyes. "I can get meaner you know."

Jasper grit her teeth through the pain. "Oh, how nice. Threats. Is that how you brainwashed the brat? You threatened to hurt her? How very motherly."

Garnet didn't need a reminder of how awful she had been to Peridot in the beginning, but at the current moment she felt no remorse for what was going on. Where-as Peridot had simply been a frightened and misguided child, this gem knew exactly what she was doing and had intentionally broken a child's spirit. _Her_ child's spirit.

Even still, she stepped back and tried to calm down. Perhaps a more civil approach would work and would get the orange gem to settle. "Alright...I'm sorry I pulled your hair. Let's try to be diplomatic about this." Immediately she was met with a fist to the face.

"How's this for diplomatic, abomination?!" Jasper snarled as she reared back her fist to punch again. It was caught abruptly and firmly in Garnet's grip. Civility forgotten, Garnet snatched the orange gem and yanked her forward. The motion stunned her, and so it was very easy to tug her down over her knee. It was even easier to smack her without feeling an ounce of guilt.

A gem had a high tolerance to pain of course, but being dealt from another gem at their full strength, where she herself was far weaker was a different story. None the less, the warrior snarled and struggled as her feet kicked furiously against the ground. "Let go of me, you FREAK!" When the insult just caused Garnet to deal out even worse hits against her backside she cried out. Her face went red in rage and humiliation. "How DARE YOU!"

"You just let me know when you feel like being reasonable," Garnet said simply. "And I'll wait. Maybe we can actually try to treat each other as equals for once instead of hated enemies or me needing to treat you like a child."

"You aren't AN EQUAL!" Jasper yelled. "You are BENEATH ME! YOU ARE LOWER THEN DIRT! YOU-ARE-HURTING ME!" Finally her eyes began to sting with humiliation and pain. Her struggles resumed with a renewed vigor and her teeth bared in rage as pained grunts escaped her.

"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!" Jasper roared. "YOU CLODS TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME! YOU TOOK MY BRAT! YOU TOOK MY...MY..." A blue face and translucent water wings flashed through her mind and she finally felt a tear roll down.

Garnet stared down at Jasper with an exasperated frown. "We didn't take anything from you, you idiot. You were gone and she needed someone in your absence."

"I DIDN'T EVEN PLAN TO BE GONE!" Jasper roared. Her kicks and thrashing took more of a tantrum-turn. At this point she just started to fight for the sake of fighting. "I NEVER PLANNED TO LEAVE HER! AND I SURE AS HELL DIDN'T PLAN TO BE STUCK HERE!"

"Things happen, Jasper!" Garnet snapped. "I'm not blaming you for leaving Peridot, I'm blaming you for what you did to her today! You hurt her worse then any of us ever did! And you have the gall to blame me for it?!"

"You took her!" Jasper snarled. "You took them both! You took my life! You took my FREEDOM!"

"Be realistic!" Garnet snapped. "You're one of Homeworld's droids! The only freedom you've ever gotten in your life is when you're lucky enough to even get a _glance_ at another planet! Now STOP fighting against me and being stupid and realize you still have a chance of freedom if you'd just _take it!"_

Finally, Jasper furiously twisted off the fusion's knees and slammed a kick right into her face, cracking her visor. "NEVER! You treat me like a child, you trap me in this room like an animal, you take everything that's important to me, YOU RUIN MY LIFE! I'll never stop! Not until I see both of the _worthless rocks_ that make you up _shattered under my feet!"_

Garnet staggered back under another punch and didn't have the time to dodge the kick that belted her right in the stomach. The sheer force of it sent the fusion splintering through the temple door and into the kitchen. She fell through the kitchen counter.

"I'll destroy you! I'll destroy everything you care about just as you did me!" She drove a fist into the fusion's face, hands reaching out to choke her. Garnet twisted out of the way and grabbed the warrior's arms.

"Stop it!" she snarled. "Stop it now before I bubble you again and KEEP you there this time!"

"Gonna be a little hard to do that when you're DEAD!" Jasper screamed. She kicked, she punched, her gem started to glow in distress but she didn't stop.

"STOP IT!" Garnet yelled. Her eyes widened in alarm. "You're going to shatter yourself! _Jasper!_ You aren't ready for this type of combat again! Your gem can't take it! You're going to _die!"_

 _"GOOD!"_ Jasper roared. Her face went red, and tears came to her eyes. Her strained gem flickered and summoned her helmet. It was already cracked. She was already starting to break.

"JASPER!" Garnet tried to grab her and tried to desperately poof her before she got worse, but it was useless. She couldn't keep up with the solider's blows this time. They were relentless; a distraught and broken final strength from a gem that thought she had nothing else to live for. She was on a suicide mission.

The soldier rammed her fist into Garnet's chest and before she even had time to recover, roundhouse kicked her in the face, sending the fusion back a few feet. But Garnet wasn't focused on herself, she was focused on the panting form that was starting to glow.

Jasper's eyes had begun to glaze over and suddenly, her skin started to crack. It was the final step before her gem shattered completely. Her fist reared back...

"JASPER, STOP!"

And it collided right into Peridot's face. The child's visor snapped in half and she slammed into the side of the clifface. With a weak cry she suddenly disappeared. Immediately, a small triangular stone gently clinked into the sand.

The effect was immediate. The glaze eased off of Jasper's eyes and her fist lowered. She could only stare at the small stone, as did Garnet. But Garnet did not expect what came next.

"NO!" the warrior suddenly howled in grief, falling to the sand in front of Peridot. No longer being under strain, the glow around her faded slowly although the cracks remained through out her skin. But she didn't seem to care about that. "NO, OH STARS, _NO!"_ She scooped up Peridot and absolutely burst into tears. "OH NO, NO! _PERI, NO!"_

Garnet was stunned. She picked herself slowly up off the sand and just stared. While she could understand some distress at accidentally injuring someone you loved, this seemed a bit much, especially from Jasper. The warrior just knelt there and bawled like the child had died. Like the child...had...

 _Oh._

"Jasper..." Garnet's tone became gentle as she slowly approached. "You don't know...if she can regenerate, do you?" When the hunched warrior's sobbing increased, she knelt down next to her. "Jasper..." She put her hands on the solider's shoulders, squeezing firmly to get her attention. Finally large brimming eyes looked up at her. "Jasper, she's going to be just fine. ...Okay? Look at me. I promise."

The large gem just hung her head and hiccuped miserably, her tears creating a pool in her cupped hands and drenching her uniform. The gem in her hand started to glow and raise into the air. "...U...ungh?"

A glowing shape took form in the air before Peridot landed safely in the sand. She was missing her visor and had a black eye, but otherwise she was perfectly alive. "Ugh...my head..." Before she could say anything, large arms suddenly embraced her and held her close. "Wha...?"

Jasper buried her face into the baby's hair and pressed her against her chest. "I'm sorry...!"

Peridot's eyes widened but immediately the tears were brought on as she clutched to her caretaker. "Me too!"

Jasper sat back with the child and held her more tenderly then Garnet thought possible. Their tears joined into a puddle underneath them as Jasper gently bumped her forehead against the gemling's and even nuzzled her softly. Garnet smiled softly at the two and brushed Peridot's hair back as she stood up. "We need to stop this..." she said quietly. "...For them."

Jasper barely lifted her head but tired eyes opened as she nodded. Suddenly the larger gem buckled forward with a muted cry of pain. Her skin cracked more.

"What's going on?!" Peridot cried. She pushed against the warrior to try and keep her upright. "Jasper!" She gasped in horror when she saw the cracks under her small fingers. "Look at you! What happened?!"

"Mmph..." Jasper was fading, and her gem was starting to crack. "Doesn't...matter..."

"It matters to me!" Peridot turned and saw the rest of the gems and Vidalia rush forward. "Steven!" she cried. "Steven please help! Something is really wrong!"

"What on earth!" Pearl clasped a hand to her mouth. Lapis said nothing but she stiffened and clutched her chest quietly. "Man, not even I've looked that bad when I got cracked," Amethyst mused.

"She pushed her gem to the limits," Garnet said, trying to help Peridot hold up the dying warrior. "She forgot, or...didn't care that she didn't have much strength."

Steven ran over to his sister and the woman and knelt down beside her. Sensing a new presence, Jasper's cracked eyes slowly opened. The boy smiled nervously at her. "Hey, you...big friendly giant. Please don't bite my face off, okay?" In an effort to both heal and calm her, the boy pressed a soft kiss to her gem.

The jagged stone sparkled as the crack immediately mended but Jasper still fell unconscious. She fell into the sand peacefully.

"Jasper!" Peridot cried, trying to shake her awake.

"Oh geez!" Steven's eyes welled up. "Did I do it wrong?!"

Garnet chuckled as she gently scooped up the large sleeping giant and ruffled the childrens' hair. "She's fine, you two. She's tired is all. She simply needs to rest."

The group started back to the house, which again was left in shambles. "Oh man," Amethyst sighed. "You know, this is like...the second time this week we've gotta rebuild the freaking house!"

"It's also the second time it's been Jasper's fault," Pearl groused. "But...looking at things, if we're lucky, maybe that won't happen again." She glanced at the sleeping gem in Garnet's arms.

"I guess things really have been bad here lately, huh?" Vidalia looked around the house. "It's different since I've last seen it. ...Then again, it was in one piece the last time I saw it."

"We're sorry you got roped into this," Pearl sighed. "Sometimes you just don't want to admit...that you can't do it all on your own. We should have known better then to leave Peridot alone when things were so bad between her and Jasper. I guess we aren't very good caretakers."

Vidalia chuckled. "Stop being so hard on yourself, you're just fine. You know, when the munchkin was at my house she couldn't stop talking about how amazing you all were to her. I just...didn't wanna bring her back over until the thing with Jasper blew over."

"I think it'll be a long time until everything with Jasper blows over," Pearl mumbled, looking over to where Garnet lay the sleeping gem onto the couch. "But this is a good start, especially for the two of them."

Vidalia smiled at the way the baby was worriedly eying her old sitter, fists curled up in distress. "You wanna go to her, don't you hun?"

Peridot sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't...want you to think I'm ungrateful. I appreciate everything you and your sons did for me. But I really..." She looked back at Jasper. "I wanna go home."

Vidalia scooped the little bean up into her arms. "Hunny, you don't have to be sorry! You wanna go home! I get it. I was just...worried about you is all." She smiled at the child's family. "But I know you'll be just fine. Just know that my house is open for you any time of the day, noon or night, snow or sleet!" She bounced the giggling kid and then gently set her down on the ground. Immediately, Peridot scrambled over to Jasper.

The rest of the gems (and human) went out in the patio to chat, leaving the child in darkness. She scrambled up onto the big warrior's stomach, and Jasper stirred.

"Nnn...runt...?" A tired hand reached up to cup the back of the kid's head. "...You look so weird without your visor."

"Yeah, well, you cracked it open," Peridot smirked. Seeing the stricken look on Jasper's face she shook her head. "I don't care about that. I mean, Steven says that there's a place I can get all kinds of glasses if I want anyway. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Jasper yawned. "And stupid. ...I'm sorry I...blamed you for my feelings." She looked away. "I guess I didn't even think about your feelings, just mine. I was away from you for a year. And you are...a pesky little brat that needs someone to look after you." She cracked a smile. "So...it had to be someone if it wasn't going to be me."

"I'm sorry I didn't think of how _you_ felt when I called...Garnet 'Mother.'" She lowered her eyes. "I mean...you were the original Mother."

Jasper's eyes widened and shone slightly. "Really?"

"Well yeah." Peridot shrugged. "...I love Garnet," she said quietly, and the other gem's face fell slightly. "I love Pearl, Amethyst, Steven...but I love you too. I just wish I could love you all without these problems."

Jasper sighed and rested her head back against the pillow. "You...can. I shouldn't have made you feel like you couldn't. Yeah, they're the enemy. They're traitors. They're the ones we're supposed to destroy, but...you're just a kid. An infantile gem. That sort of thing...adult stuff, it shouldn't even matter to you yet. Who cares what someone has done to their planet as long as they love you? They took care of you...I should be grateful for that. I...am. Begrudgingly... I know you need them."

"But I need you too!" Peridot exclaimed. "More then I think you realize! I never would have saved you if I didn't." Her throat tightened. "You can't plan on leaving me?"

Jasper looked away. "You've got a whole family of caretakers now. I can't take you back with me. They'll destroy you! But I can't stay here. I'm not wanted here." Her eyes briefly drifted north, where she saw the ruffles of a blue dress as someone turned away from the staircase. "I mean...I'm _really_ not wanted here."

Peridot shook her head with a sniffle. "If I stay here I'm a Crystal Gem. But if you go back, you're still a Homeworld gem. That-that makes _us_ enemies..." An orange finger suddenly slipped under her chin and lifted it up to look into Jasper's soft golden eyes.

"...I'll never be your enemy."

Peridot's eyes filled with tears and she launched herself into Jasper's arms. The large gem pushed herself up on the cushion and just held the child close.

"I'm sorry I called you a defect..."

The baby shrugged. "Well, you were right. I mean, I still can't do anything..."

"Are you kidding me?" Jasper laughed. "I freaking punched you at a fist going like 50 miles a second, and you reformed in less then a minute! You couldn't even regenerate when your face exploded on the ship! Hell, I can't even regenerate that fast! That's not something a defect can do, kid!"

Slowly, a huge smile split the gemling's face. "Really?"

"You took a general's punch to the face and your gem didn't even CRACK! You're not a defect, you dummy! You're as tough as...well...rock! You don't need powers to matter." She shrugged sheepishly. "...Sorry it took me so long to figure that one out."

Steve meanwhile slipped quietly in and started up the stairs when a voice stopped him. "Quartz." He froze and immediately felt sweat start down his face as he slowly turned around. Jasper leveled him with an impassive stare, but it became softer. "...Thanks for taking care of my runt."

Stunned, the boy felt a grin coming on. "Yeah, of course. The Crystal Gems...don't leave anyone behind." Jasper turned back to Peridot and Steven eagerly bolted up the stairs. "Lapis, hey! ...Lapis?" He got there just in time to watch her slip out the window. "What are you doing out here?"

Beams of moonlight shone down on the two of them and shimmered through the bluenette's hair. "Just sitting."

"I'll sit with you." He happily flopped down next to her and smiled. She didn't return it. "It's great that Jasper and Peridot made up." All he received was an impassive nod. It felt like she was growing icier by the minute. "I mean...that was really scary when she almost died. I never thought gems could shatter if they overexerted themselves!"

Lapis's fists clenched and she stood up, moving away from him.

"Lapis, why do you hate Jasper so much?" Steven asked quietly. "I mean...I get that she did bad things, but...so did you! So did Peridot! You've all hurt each other so what makes things between you and Jasper so much worse?"

Lapis didn't respond.

"I know things were bad, but things can change!" He smiled. "I mean, you barely know her!" Suddenly Lapis whirled so quickly around that her dress smacked him in the face and the child nearly fell back through the window.

"Is that honestly _what you think?_ I barely know her? Are you serious?"

Steven blinked at her, stunned. "I just...assumed-"

"Well don't assume!" she snapped. "You don't know anything about her! You don't know anything about _me!"_ She stopped and stared at the confusion in her friend's eyes. "I'm...sorry. You don't need this. This isn't about you. I just need to be alone right now." With one flap, she was gone into the night.


	14. Dreamscapes Part 1

_(I don't know how I'm gonna handle Alone At Sea tomorrow. I REALLY don't. Because of spoilers I already know the outcome, but I also know some good news So...yay? I just...ughhh I can't. I can't. No. My babies. Just. BE. HAPPY!_

 _Anyhoo, so I've finally decided on where this fic might end, and it won't for a while depending on how fast I write. I'll probably wind up writing even more then I planned, but I decided it would be fun to have like ambiguous-possibly misleading titles/descriptions for fun speculation for my readers. ;p Just like the show!_

 _"Dreamscapes Part 2" - Steven helps a friend with her anxiety._

 _"Blue + Orange" - Steven writes a love song._

 _"Hatred Bonds" - Garnet takes Peridot on a shopping trip._

 _"Cluster" - The TigerEye is finally found_

 _"Not Like This" - A new fusion is born_

 _"Lament" - Amethyst muses about their new team_

 _"Over The Line" - Steven takes things too far when he tries to help two squabbling friends._

 _"Corrupted Honor" - Jasper reunites with some old friends_

 _"Smores" - Connie and Steven go on a camping trip._

 _"Diamond Line" - The Homeworld gems are faced with an ultimatum_

 _Mild warning: mentions of nudity. Nothing lewd or sexual, just implications)_

* * *

He had finally found her after about a half hour of searching and calling out the blue gem's name. Steven just didn't understand what he had said that was so wrong. He wished she'd tell him. Today's events were enough pain for one day, he didn't want to fight with his friend too.

"Lapis..." He looked down at the gem, expression furrowed in concern. She was curled up asleep, and Steven could tell she had been crying. "Lapis, I wish you'd tell me what's wrong..." A thought easily came to mind. "...Or maybe you don't have to tell me." He laid down next to the sleeping gem and he shut his eyes.

* * *

Sleepy eyes cracked open and Steven found them staring right up into a purple sky. "Mmm?" He scowled in disappointment. "The sky, the stars... It didn't work." Slowly he pushed himself up. "I guess she's not dreaming..." It was darker then he remembered though. "Hey...did the grass always have this weird blue tone to it?"

Something glowed through the brush and Steven smiled, expecting it to be a small wild animal. "Hey little guy! Don't be shy. And if you're a raccoon or something please don't eat my face." He did not have good experience with raccoons.

Slowly, whatever the creature was crawled out of the bushes. It was fuzzy, had pointed ears that looked more like horns...and had thousands of wiggling legs. Whiskers twitched and tiny fangs dripped a strange substance.

"WAH!" Steven shrieked and reeled backwards, pinwheeling his arms for balance. "Cats don't have insect legs! At least not on earth they don't." So he prayed to the stars he was dreaming or else there were some really screwed up corrupted gems wandering that they didn't know about.

"This planet is beautiful!"

Steven froze when he recognized his friend's voice and bent down to peek through the blue brush. Sure enough he saw her flapping about, as free as a bird, and circling... _Jasper?_

The Quartz let her little Lazuli flit around her like a happy hummingbird for a moment before she laughed and yanked her down by the ankle.

"Oh you think any new planet you get a chance to see is beautiful, brat." But even as she looked around, she almost had to agree. The organic life forms on this planet were almost foreign to Homeworld, which only thrived from things they manufactured. But they both knew the beauty on this planet would be short lived once they took it over.

Best to let her angelfish enjoy this time while it lasted, just like the very limited _Tri-Diamond Co-operation Lenience Quarter._ "We're here for a mission, remember," she pointed out sternly. It was very difficult to maintain her authority when she looked over at the excited blue gem that was nuzzling her face in flowers.

Steven pulled away from the brush for a moment, his eyes wide. "They were friends?" he whispered, looking over at the catipeede that just stared back at him. He needed someone to share this information with. "They were friends before they came to earth?!"

"What is this mission anyway?" Jasper asked as she stepped through the blue brush and pushed away a few sentient flowers that tried to smooch her face. "I was only assigned to be your bodyguard after all." She smirked playfully at her girlfriend. "Because little damsels like you don't want to be in distress." That was met with a handful of dirt to the face, but it was worth it.

"We're here," Lapis smirked, "Because Blue Diamond wants me to scope out the planet—specifically to see if there's a source of water for her Lapis Lazulis and Turquoise to thrive. Water is our element after all."

"Ah. See, Jaspers aren't namby-pamby enough to need anything to survive," the warrior teased. She never meant anything she said about Lapisis to her girlfriend and Lapis knew it, but she loved that adorable pout she got when she did tease her.

"Well you better hope I don't find any water, because then I can really kick your ass..."

"Language, princess!"

The two moved out of Steven's view and the child sat back in awe. "I can't believe they used to be friends..." With the sheer level of hate they seemed to have for each other, this was just impossible to foresee. It left an even bigger question: Where did everything go so wrong? "Catipeede, which way did they go?"

The bug eyed hybrid stared at him for a moment before moving its thousands of little legs down a narrow pathway through the blue brush. Steven reluctantly followed. "So...I guess this is one of the planets Homeworld conquered, or at least tried to." He looked sadly at the Catipeede. "So this means you're probably dead now too."

The feline blinked at him and just continued walking.

"Water!"

Steven scurried through the thicket and pushed his face through the bushes. "There they are..."

Lapis and Jasper came upon a shallow lake with three inches of water. It was so clear that even the blue sand could be seen through it, like every molecule was as translucent as glass. There were stepping stones that led into the water. The stones themselves looked like they were made of crystal.

"Oh look at that...water..." Jasper eyed the water warily and turned a suspicious eye towards her mate. Lapis had the most sinister look on her face. "Brat, don't you _dare..."_

Before Jasper could make a break for it hands formed from the lake and snatched her ankles, causing her to tumble into the sand. "LAPIS! LAZULI! DON'T EVEN-!" It was just a quick tug and the giant went down into the shallow water, flat on her face. Lapis however fell to the sand laughing.

Her large mane fell over her face like a wet mop but she still managed to peek an annoyed eye at her lover as she spat out a stream of water. Annoyance turned to mischief as the gem slowly climbed to her feet and pushed back a soggy strand of hair. "Oh, you really want something to laugh about?"

Lapis stopped laughing and glared in alarm. "No!" She scrambled back as her large warrior slowly approached and she crawled frantically over the rocks to try and get away. "Jasper! Get away from me—don't you-!"

Jasper caught her as she tried to fly and pulled her girlfriend against her, fingers making quick work at scribbling and tickling the gem's stomach. Lapis screamed before dissolving into unintelligible laughter and snorts.

"You fiend! You fiend! You know I hate it when you do that!"

"Yeah, and I hate it when you use your water against me!"

The two laughed, although Lapis did most of it, desperately trying to tuck up her knees to protect her belly. That just made it easier for Jasper to get to her feet, which quickly sent the poor gem in hysterics. Jasper knew exactly where all her angelfish's sensitive spots were...which was pretty much everywhere. The bluenette was an absolute ball of hypersensitive nerves.

"JASPER-!" The water sloshed desperately, trying to take shape of something that could defend her, but Jasper just kept tickling her until she lost all her focus. "STOOOP!"

"You gonna stop with the water?"

"NEVER!"

"Then neither will I!" Jasper laughed. "My little _Laughing Lazuli!"_ The two wrestled and laughed until the squealing and snorting Lapis finally managed to retaliate, fingers scribbling across her Jasper's stomach. Jasper yelped and tried to twist away while still holding onto her mate. And that made for a very interesting position that was probably going to wind up sending the two down the hill in a minute.

Steven giggled softly through the leaves, his hand to his mouth. "I don't think they were just friends..." He looked over to the Catipeede, who was licking one of its many legs. He turned just in time to see the laughing couple tumble down the grassy hills. "Well there they go!" The boy giggled and looked back at the creature. "I think we have to go look for them now."

He stepped out of the bushes with his bug pal and waded a foot through the shallow water. "Wow...they were right. It is pretty." He could see small creatures akin to aquatic fish flipping about in the stream. He looked back at Catipeede, who was hissing at the water. "Oh that's right. Cats hate water." He scooped up the wiggly thing and skipped over the stones with it. "They went down the hill but I don't want them to see us."

He searched around and found another small path on the outside of the blue grass, lined with trees and bushes a dark indigo. "This would be a perfect planet for Lapis. It's all blue!" He set down the Catipeede and hurried down the path. "Even the dirt is a blue color!"

"Reow..." came the bugcat's mew of disinterest as it followed along on its many legs. Steven wasn't able to see the vigorous kissing session that was going on at the bottom of the hill until he finally reached the end of the path.

Jasper was the one snickering and snorting now as kisses were placed over her face and neck, followed by several nose nuzzles. "Cut it out, brat! That's not sexy!"

"Oh, but I can _get_ sexy," Lapis teased.

Steven made a face. "They're about as grossly...gross as Ruby and Sapphire." But it was undeniable the emotions he felt palpitating from them, the very feeling in the air. So much love. He pushed aside more bramble to see better—only to rear back as if his eyes were on fire.

"OHH MY GOSH—THEY'RE NAKED!" There was silence for a moment as the distant couple looked around for the sound before returning to their petting session."Oh...oh..." He rubbed his eyes vigorously as if he could rub away the _sin._ "Oh... _oh_ that was not meant for little Stevie's eyes!" He glanced over at Catipeede, who was watching intently. He yanked it back. "Don't watch, that's creepy!"

He heard...noises and felt the sweat pour down him as he panicked and hugged the Catipeede close. "Oh, my innocence... little Stevie's innocence... The... _noises."_

They were in a different position now, Jasper being the one to lie down rather then Lapis. The blue gem was nuzzled into the warrior's chest, a happy hum rumbling from her throat as she cuddled the other. "Didn't think I...I'd be cuddled into this chest again." She pouted. "Why does this holiday have to be so short?"

Jasper smirked. "Short? I can barely stand two days with you."

Lapis knew the warrior gem well enough to know a quip. "Nice try, but you _know_ I make you feel things."

That she did. Feelings that Jasper couldn't describe and was probably forbidden to feel, for a Lapis anyway. Relationships weren't condemned so much as simply being a low priority. Relationships with a gem of a different court, however... None the less, she wouldn't let Lapis see that got to her.

"Yeah, you make me feel things in my groin," Jasper answered back saucily and Lapis scoffed.

"You know what I'm talking about, you dumb shard." Lapis brushed a hand gently over the jasper on her mate's face. Jasper felt her face glow with heat and she struggled not to panic. Fooling around in a holiday fling was one thing, but genuine deep emotions was not something the warrior could handle. Rather, she was afraid to handle. She had no idea how to love, at least not without screwing up.

Her gem started to brightly glow with passion and that coupled with the smug but loving look on Lapis's face was too much for Jasper. "Shut up!" she barked and slammed her fist into the gem's face. A lazuli landed in the grass in front of her. "...OH NO, FUCK!"

Steven was still hiding his face but the distressed cry startled him. "Something's wrong!" He made a face. "Ehhh...but they're still naked!" He looked at a small branch of blue leaves and tore it off. "Okay, if I can just angle this right..." The boy held up the branch to cover...parts, and squinted into the distance.

"Oh no, oh no...Lapis!" Jasper held the teardrop desperately. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I just...you said things and I had feelings! And...I don't have feelings!" Her pained eyes stared out, almost blankly. "My Diamond...said we don't...have feelings."

The gem remained unresponsive and Jasper gave a bitter snort. "I was right...I can't do this. All we do is destroy. Hurt..." Her mouth set into a grim line. "I'm only meant to cause pain..."

The teardrop glowed as Lapis suddenly reformed. Dazed with a bruise on her face and messy hair, the blue gem gave a wry smile. "Geez. If you're like that when your gem just _glows_ , what the hell is your reaction going to be when I say 'the three words' to you?"

"Oh why would you even want to?!" Jasper snapped, looking away. "I just punched you in the face! I'm just a bumbling Quartz-! I'm an idiot! An idiot that's programmed to destroy! You saw what just happened just because I got...SPOOKED! I'm not..." But she shut up when Lapis squeezed her cheeks together.

"Listen you oaf," Lapis huffed. "Neither of us know what we're doing here. You think I expected to fall for a Quartz? No. And you didn't expect to fall for..." She smirked. "A dainty little princess like me. I don't know what I'm doing...and you don't know what you're doing...but we'll figure it out together. All I know is I love you more then the freedom I want so bad."

Her blue cheeks flushed as she looked down. "I... _am_ free when I'm with you. I'd stay on our planet forever if it just meant I could always be with you."

Stars appeared in Jasper's eyes as she looked earnestly up at her mate. Her face turned sheepish and she wiped something gathering in her eye. "Really? Just...for me?"

"Maybe someday we don't have to be afraid to be us." Lapis nestled into the other gem, giggling as Jasper grabbed her and tossed her playfully into the air.

" _Best Tri-Diamond-Co-operation Lenience Quarter_ ever!"

Slowly Steven leaned back in awe. "They were...in love." He felt his heart ache thinking about it and the present now. "In just as much love as Ruby and Sapphire. They were so happy...they were so perfect...You know, minus accidentally punching the other in a panic. ...What went so wrong?"

He glanced over at Catipeede, who was trying to slither through the bushes. "What are you doing?!" Horrified, he launched over to grab the creature. "You're going to give us away!" The bushes snapped and both he and the cat fell forward, in plain sight.

 _"Steven?!"_

* * *

The planet around them dissolved into nothing and Steven could soon feel the cool breeze of night on his face and the cold grass beneath his body. He gasped when he saw Lapis standing above him with the most horrified look on her face.

"Wha-what are you _doing here?!"_

 _"_ I..." The boy's mouth went dry as he looked at the pain on his friend's face. "I was worried about you so—I came to see you. I just—I wanted to know what was going on!"

Tears started to stream down Lapis's face. "That was not meant for your eyes! You weren't supposed to see! You weren't supposed to know! _Nobody_ was ever supposed to know!"

"I know!" the boy spluttered. "Believe me, there...uh, there were things I didn't want to see either!" He shuddered. "I mean things I really _really_ didn't want to see!"

"Ugh!" Lapis flushed and turned away in disgust, hugging herself tightly.

"Lapis... you...you really loved her, didn't you?"

The gem put a hand to her mouth and trembled as further tears spilled. "No...I was a fool. And it was just a mistake."

"Love is never a mistake!"

"Well look at everything it turned into, Steven!" she laughed hoarsely. "We've both been awful to each other! She dragged me back here! She hurt me! I dragged her under the ocean! I hurt her! I'm pretty sure love is long gone, little boy!"

"Love can be fixed!" Steven exclaimed. "Especially if it's as strong as yours was! I saw it, Lapis. I know I wasn't supposed to...but...I saw. I saw you happy." His friend only shuddered with suppressed sobs. "What went so wrong?"

"Why don't you ask HER?" Lapis snapped. Her eyes brimmed over more. "Because I sure in hell don't know!" She clasped her hand to her mouth. "I—I was trapped here! When I got back...I thought she'd be so happy! She...she'd changed." She squeezed herself tighter. "I should have gotten the hint when she stepped on my mirror. I-I thought it was an accident— _but she probably did see me!"_

"Lapis...you have to talk to her. Communication is the key to any relationship," Steven told her.

"There is no relationship now Steven," the blue gem sobbed. "There's only enemies."

The child didn't know what to do other then to tear up as well as he watched his friend fall apart. He landed on his knees beside her and wrapped his arms around her, at a loss. "Lapis come home. It's really late and I don't want you to be out here sad by yourself."

"I'll be sad either way," she mumbled through a hiccup. Tiny pink finger curled in hers.

"Be sad with me. We can be sad together," he offered quietly. "And figure this out together." She looked away sniffling, but he tugged on her hand. "We can play card games. I know you'll love one I play with Peridot. It's called 'Go Fish.' They have fish on the back of them!"

"I...I guess," she reluctantly agreed. She knew the child would stubbornly stay here either way. "I don't want you to get sick out here..."

He squeezed her hand as he walked off with her. "It'll be okay..." he mumbled in reassurance. He didn't know how it would be, but somehow...it would.


	15. Dreamscapes Part 2

_(OKAY so I have way much to say about the episodes to even get into, but I decided to put even MORE weight on my back by adding another teeny arc/ relationship dynamic into this fic because... I just...I can't. I can't ignore. I tried. I fought, I struggled for three days. But alas...it's useless. So I've managed to figure out a way to cram even more into this fic that was supposed to end in like three chapters! Actually if I'm being realistic, this fic was a ONE SHOT so..._

 _Anticipate a two parter special to come with likely foreshadowing in the next couple chapters_

 _"Secrets" - Steven is confused when his friend seems to be depressed and reclusive_

 _"My Diamond" - Steven reads about how pets can help those that are sad and decides to try it out.)_

* * *

Steven didn't know at what point he fell asleep, and he didn't even realize that he had. The night was still a blur after his friend's dream. It went late into the night and far past his bedtime, so he had to struggle to stay awake through their card games, but he wanted to calm her down. He'd take a little exhaustion as long as Lapis was okay.

He hovered in the sky, free as a bird and giggling as he weaved in and out of fluffy clouds. "A propeller tonight, huh? Not too shabby dream! Helicopter Steven would be the greatest super hero ever! I could fly! I could SAVE THE WORLD! I mean...I already can, but I CAN DO IT WITH A PROPELLER!" He hopped from cloud to cloud like a white trampoline and happily dove down to see what else awaited him in this dream world.

There was a cliff not far down, wind rippling grass at the edge of it and Steven saw that the cliff wasn't vacant. A blue and orange figure settled in the grass. He could already see Lapis's wings flapping happily, trying to get air. "Hehe...I guess it makes sense I'm dreaming about them."

Giggling, the boy dove down to join the two and did a happy circle around them. "Come on up! The air is great up here!" Lapis giggled at the child but Jasper just scowled at the boy in annoyance and confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" the warrior snarled. Her anger was short lived as Lapis held her around the middle and lifted her up into the air.

"You ready kitten?" Lapis asked as she nudged the orange warrior. "Hope you aren't afraid of heights!"

The glare on her face melted off to an excited and happier look that Steven had never seen before. "Nice joke, Angelfish!" She tightened her grip on her mate's hands and Lapis lifted them up into the sky.

"This is so cool!" Steven laughed as he did figure eights through the sky. Puffs of clouds formed into shapes and dissipated as he flew through them. "I didn't think I'd have buddies to hang with! Flight friends!"

The venom came back to the giant, who curled her lips up disdainfully. "We...are _not_ friends." A shadow fell over them and Jasper's eyes suddenly flickered to the sky and filled with fear. The clouds formerly snow white had become a sinister gray.

"Looks like we're gonna be getting a storm," Steven mused. He didn't seem to sense the other's fear as he simply puffed up his chest. "Aerial Steven can take it! Storm tricks! Man, I'd be the coolest pilot ever!" He smiled down at the flying duo but when he noted the look on Jasper's face his smile fell. "Jasper?"

The warrior wasn't focused on Steven anymore. Instead she looked up at Lapis and her face became tight. Her grip shook but she continued to hold on tightly, even as the blue fingers curled in hers slowly started...to drip. Jasper's breathing became heavier and she grasped desperately at what was now blue goo. "No, not again! Just let me have this!"

"What's going on?" the child cried. He whipped his head over to Lapis, who now seemed almost robotic as she continued to fly. Teal dripped from her skin but that large smile stayed in place as her form started to melt.

"Nothing Steven!" Her grin became impossibly wider. "Everything's fine!" Immediately the rest of her face began to melt and Steven screamed loudly as her eye sockets dribbled white and dissolved with the rest of her face.

Suddenly the lustrous land and clear blue skies beneath them gave way to a total void of darkness, and with no one to keep her in flight, Jasper plummeted.

"Jasper!" Steven cried. His propeller winding up, the child flew down into the darkness, unsure if it even had a bottom. It had to if the gem had fallen into it. "Jasper! Are you okay?!" He didn't care if this was just his dream, he wasn't going to let the woman just fall into a pit!

"Jasper!" It was pitch black but Steven heard heavy, frightened panting somewhere in the blackness around him. He focused and his gem began to glow, projecting a bright pink light that lit up a sliver of the darkness.

A beat of silence and Steven saw a small orange diamond illuminating, and next he saw wide golden eyes staring into his. Gasping, Steven focused his tummy light onto her. "Jasper!"

She grunted from the bright light on her face and swatted at the air. "Just get lost, brat! I don't need your help..." Something dripped on her from above. Thick, blue, and cold. The woman shivered as she slowly looked up and a droplet of her mate's body splattered on her face. Crying out, Jasper scrubbed at her face to get the goo off. Almost immediately, Lapis's gem fell into her open palms.

A shadow fell over the warrior's face and she stroked a finger gently over the surface. That's when the crystalline indigo melted and burned her hands. "Augh!" She flung it to the ground and the puddle pulsated as if it was alive. A low hiss filled the air.

 _"Monster..."_

Jasper backed up desperately away from the puddle as it slowly evaporated. Steven just stared at the woman and things finally began to click.

"This...this isn't my dream. It's...it's your dream. A nightmare, you're having a nightmare."

Golden eyes reflected the obvious terror she was feeling and trying desperately to hide as she grunted and pushed herself away from him into the blackness. Her gem emitted a light to keep the area glowing so they could at least vaguely make out shapes.

They both heard something in the darkness. It made Steve tilt his head in confusion and Jasper to freeze with terror. She whirled around to look at him and around her. What sounded like the loud crunching of metal ad grinding of gears echoed through the vast canyon walls. It made Steven hold his ears. "What...what's that sound?" There was a heavy metallic stench that gave him immediate unease. "Jasper...? What is that?"

"The gem recycling facility," the large warrior whispered quietly. The screeching of the metal got louder and became almost unbearable until finally Jasper gripped her hair and pulled. Another sound joined into the darkness, and this one made both of their stomachs dive. Very distinct, loud crying.

"Get away from me...! Please! I can be good! I can serve as use! My Diamond! Jasper—help me!"

"PERIDOT!" Jasper roared. She stumbled to her feet and ran through the darkness blindly as Steven struggled to keep up with her. The sickening grinding became louder but the further they ran the more distant Peridot's crying became. "No, please!" the warrior begged into the darkness. "Don't do this!"

The sinister screech of metal that came next was almost enough to drown out Peridot's screams, but not quite. Steven sobbed as he listened to his dream sister's final moments and the large gem before him quivered like a leaf.

"Jasper!" Steven launched forward to the gem and shook her arm. "Jasper, just wake up! Wake up!"

With a more desperate snarl she knocked him off her as she turned away. "What, are you kidding me?! I barely know how to SLEEP! You think I know how to wake up?! Just—get out of here, brat! If you can't take it!"

"Jasp-!" Steven started but was cut off as water sloshed down on them both from above. A giant tidal wave crashed into the pit and mercilessly tossed them both against the rocks. "Jasper!" Steven and the gem were thrown about like a rag doll into the deadly current. All the while, a guttural hiss echoed from above. Her voice, but somehow so much deeper.

 _"Monster..."_

He didn't think he could drown in Jasper's nightmare, but Steven still held his breath out of instinct as he started swimming down to where the soldier had been tossed. She waded there in the water, helpless, lost, and desperately trying to block out the insults that were suddenly so much worse then the grinding of gears.

"Jasper..." Steven reached a hand out to her and that's when hands suddenly leaped up from the pit that was now bottomless. They latched onto her ankles and started to drag her under. Steven screamed as the gem began to disappear into a watery void. "No!" He grabbed her hand and she held onto him for dear life.

"Sorry, Lapis!" His arm glowed and became a large blade that sliced through the sentient hands. "But your water privileges are cut off!" He yanked Jasper to safety and before anything else could take her, he formed a bubble around them both. It was hard to believe the shivering gem hugging her knees was the same beast that tried to kill him and his entire family.

"It's okay, we'll be safe in here," he promised her. He hesitantly outstretched a hand to touch her hair and was surprised when she didn't bonk him off.

"There's nowhere that's safe in here," was all Jasper replied as she tucked into the bubble as tightly as she could. Steven had no idea how to respond to that.

"How long have you been having these nightmares?"

She looked down. "Since I reformed. They come every night and usually I always know what's gonna happen..." She shut her eyes. "But what happens next I don't wanna see!"

Steven blinked. "Are you okay?"

The world shifted as the water started to drain away. And Steven recognized the planet and the vessel that lay in the dirt.

"General Jasper, your Peridot has finished interrogating the prisoner on all she knows about planet earth," Yellow Diamond droned as she punched something into her keyboard. "We know not of her intentions so she is to remain in a cell for the mission. Until she can prove her loyalty to Homeworld, she's a rogue," the monarch said simply. "Keep the gem in line."

"Yes, My Diamond." Jasper saluted. "Peridot and I will keep you updated on the mission." The leader's back was already turned to her in disinterest and Jasper made her way into the ship.

"Let go of me you robo droid!" Lapis seethed as she struggled in green electronic cuffs around her wrists. "This isn't fair! I'm not one of them! I just—want-to find-!"

"Lapis?!"

"Jasper?!"

Peridot released Lapis's arms as the gem stumbled over to Jasper, who caught her hands and helped her stand upright. Their eyes stared into each other's, wide, disbelieving. Jasper gently cupped the bluenette's cheeks. "You're here! You're...you're alive?! I-I've been searching for you for thousands of years!" Her eyes shone. She held the gem's hands tighter. "I thought...you were gone."

"They kept me!" Lapis's blue eyes brimmed over with tears. "They made me their prisoner," the blue gem whispered. She tried to duck her head into Jasper's chest but the warrior pulled back and darted a worried eye around. No one could see her show compassion to a _prisoner._ Their relationship was never condoned before, but this would be blasphemous. It could get her shattered, Lapis shattered, Peridot...

And Peridot was watching, jade eyes confused and wide.

She shoved Lapis back abruptly. Blue eyes stared in surprise but she disregarded it. "I missed..." Jasper held up a hand and gave the water gem a sharp look to shut her up. "Just what are you looking at, runt?" she hissed to Peridot. Peridot's eyes widened but she scurried away so she didn't invoke anymore anger.

"It's been so long since I've seen you..." Lapis smiled at her warrior but Jasper didn't return it.

"Yellow Diamond said you were kept by the Crystal Gems. And now I have all the more reason to want to destroy them." Revenge flared in Jasper's eyes; a thought that was suddenly even more savory. She was made to destroy The Crystal Gems. Now to know they kept her Lapis... "To see them as shards will be everything I ever wanted. We can finally get rid of this miserable planet and give it the burial in space that it deserves."

Lapis didn't immediately agree. Part of her wanted to. They kept her their prisoner and used her as a tool. But Steven... The only one to ever show her kindness; the little child that almost made humanity seem worth it. He let her come home, she couldn't destroy his.

"No!"

Jasper halted there in her tracks and whirled around to stare at her old mate, dumbfounded. "What did you say?"

"I said no," Lapis said quietly and wouldn't look Jasper in the eye. "Hasn't Homeworld tired of this charade yet? There's billions of planets in the universe to colonize! Isn't this petty revenge plan just setting us back on all the progress we could be making?" She could feel Jasper's anger growing, but she couldn't even raise an eye. She didn't even believe the nonsense she was spouting. She just had to protect that boy...

"Do you even hear yourself, Lapis?!" Jasper snapped in disbelief. "This isn't a petty revenge plan! This is about justice! Justice that's been 5000 years in the making of serving! I was made for that war! I was made for HER! And I was made to eradicate the Crystal Gems! They're still alive, and that's what I plan to do-shatter!"

"But the humans..." She felt her desperation growing. "One saved me, and if it weren't for him I wouldn't even be here! Why should they be punished for what Rose Quartz did?"

"Because that shard took EVERYTHING FROM ME!" Jasper roared, voice pained. "How could you defend a planet that hurt us? That hurt YOU!?" She pointed an accusing finger towards the blue gem and her eyes narrowed in a way Lapis had never seen. "Unless you made your side..."

"H-how could you say that?" Lapis whispered thickly as tears came to her eyes. It felt like daggers were cutting into her throat. "You think I would ever side with them after what they did to me? After the Crystal Gems held me with them?!"

"You always did want freedom," Jasper mumbled, thinking to all the times Lapis had complained about Homeworld.

"But I'd never want to hurt my planet" Lapis cried, her voice choked. "To hurt—you! I just want to forget it all happened! Why can't we just forget?" She touched Jasper's arm but the warrior violently jerked away.

"Because we CAN'T! I'll never forget what she did! What they did! And I'll never let them get away with it! Justice will be served!" She jabbed a finger toward Lapis, any trace of compassion and gentleness that the bluenette remembered covered over with jaded eyes. "And you won't stop me..."

Lapis stood there, stunned as Jasper began to stalk away to the main chambers. She wouldn't be ignored. She grit her teeth and extended her wings, darting forward like an arrow and slamming into the warrior's back. She hit her with such force Jasper stumbled slightly, nearly into a confused Peridot.

"What's going on with the Lapis?!" the child demanded as Jasper began to panic. Couldn't let her see, couldn't let anything show...

"Jasper!" Lapis cried, nuzzling her neck desperately. "I'm your-"

"YOU ARE A PRISONER!" Jasper suddenly roared. She tore the small gem off of her and hurled her back with all the ferocity and desperation in her. "And prisoners belong in a CELL!"

There was an abrupt buzzing hum as Lapis stumbled back through electro magnetic walls of a cell, and hit the back of it with such an impact...that a small tear drop shaped stone dropped to the floor.

Jasper could only stand there, her raised hands still shaking as her eyes never left the motionless little gem.

"Geez..." Peridot finally scoffed. "Pull it back Jasper, or we're not going to have any prisoner left to interrogate..."

* * *

Steven stared as the picture in front of his eyes began to dim until he and the soldier gem were left again in a black void. She hadn't turned around or rose from her crouched position. "You...poofed her."

"She was too close...to giving us away!" Jasper cried. "If Yellow Diamond thought I had any sort of feelings for a prisoner, a rogue gem...do you know what would have happened to us all? I never meant to push her that hard, I just...I didn't...want to lose it all." Her lip curled down in hatred as she slowly turned towards the boy. "But I _did_ lose it all...because of you."

"Huh—whoa!" Steven ducked just in time to protect himself from a punch from the furious warrior. "What are you doing?!" He threw up his shield to deflect a blow of her helmet.

"You took everything from me, Rose!" Jasper heaved through a vicious pant as she made another lunge for Steven. He bounced away from her and floated over her head. "You're the reason why I'm like this!"

"Okay, I don't think this is helping anything!" Steven groaned. A roundhouse kick sent him tumbling to the black ground of non-existance but Steven felt more annoyed then frightened. "Jasper, just—listen to me! You aren't going to get anywhere like this!" Didn't she realize she couldn't do anything to him in the mind?

Steven grunted and his body split in two as Jasper charged towards his gem. His top half hopped over her head while his butt tumbled under her legs and quickly rejoined. "Jasper-!" He yelped as the large gem pounced on him like a snarling tiger, and his shield just barely stopped her sharp claws from reaching towards the quartz on his stomach.

"You ruined my life! You kept Lapis from me! You took everything I ever cared about, Rose Quartz!"

Something in the boy finally snapped. Maybe it was simple exhaustion from the fact he hadn't yet had a decent dreamless sleep tonight, or maybe he was finally tired of carrying the baggage for mistakes he never even made. Whatever it was, it made him grab Jasper with all the gem strength in him and hurl her to the ground.

"Get _OFF!_ And knock it off!" he snapped. "I didn't do anything to you! Stop blaming me for your mistakes, and my mom's mistakes! I did nothing with Lapis except try to fix the damage that YOU CAUSED!"

Jasper's breath caught and she merely stared, frozen.

"Oh gosh..." Steven squeezed and bunched up his shirt, guilt stinging his eyes. "I'm sorry...that was horrible of me to say."

The warrior gave a soft, broken laugh. "No...you're right." She sat down away from him, crossing her legs. "You're right, it's my fault. I should have been focused on the fact I finally had...my little fish back." Her fists clenched. "Instead all I cared about was revenge."

Steven sighed as he slowly and cautiously walked over. The danger seemed to be over, but you couldn't be too sure... "Look...I'm not going to defend what my mom did, because frankly...I can't." He sat down. "Because I don't know why she did any of the things she did. I don't know why she kept Lapis and I can't say that I'm sure she did it for a good reason, 'cause...I'm not." He looked down. "I don't know. I'm just sorry you were separated for so long."

Jasper bowed her head forward. "If I knew she was in that mirror...if I had just found it..."

"But..." Steven twiddled his fingers awkwardly. "You did? Lapis said you stepped on her."

The warrior immediately bristled. "What?! H-how dare you—I'd never-!" She was struck silent by her own memories. Screams and fear, scrambling to get to the portal. She tripped and cursed as she stepped on something, but she didn't have the time to look down. "...Stars!" Jasper staggered back with her hand over her mouth in disgust.

"Hey!" Steven reached towards her. "It's okay," he said gently. "You—you didn't know, obviously." When Jasper just stood there and shook, he touched her hand. "You screwed up bad."

"...Thanks, kid," she said flatly.

"But all screw ups are fixable!" he quickly recovered with a laugh. "Especially if you both really care for each other! Lapis cares about you too...trust me, I know she does. And she's just as torn up over this. You both mean so much to each other."

Steven waved his hand like a paint brush, and the two watched as he painted the cosmos into the sky. Blues and purples muddled out the lonely black void as stars sparkled over the galaxy they now floated in. "Show her she's your every star in the sky..."

"Nice metaphor," Jasper smirked.

"Oh, but I can do even better!" the boy giggled. He clapped his hands and they were under a blue, mossy tree. Through turquoise leaves, there was a small scene of the couple playing and giggling in splashing waters. "You can't say you don't miss this."

"Planet...Periwinkle," Jasper whispered softly, her eyes locked on the scene in amazement. "The mission we were both assigned to, and we didn't even realize it was with each other. We...hadn't seen each other since the last quarter." Suddenly she blinked. "Wait, how do you know about this?"

"Oh you know..." He shrugged. "Through some dreamscaping that I'll probably need some extensive therapy for. My point is...you could have this all back if you just talk to her. And then maybe when you sleep you won't have nightmares about this..."

Their surroundings faded back to the black void as Jasper hugged herself. Finally, she shut her eyes begrudgingly. "...I'm afraid."

"That's okay." Steven smiled. "It would be more abnormal if you weren't afraid, but if you're brave enough you can get back everything that was taken from you."

Jasper lowered her head. "Not everything."

Steven blinked once but found himself beside the couch, where it seemed he had haphazardly stumbled sometime during the dream. Jasper was curled up with Peridot and the gem child snored peacefully in her arms. Steven shifted so he could comfortably lay against the couch arm. Someone needed to be around in case Jasper's nightmares came back.


	16. Blue VS Orange

_( **VIP AN:** Hey guys. I'm sorry it's been so long. I've just been...going through a lot. A lot, lot. I've been recently diagnosed with bipolar and any moment I'm not hallucinating things that aren't there, I'm just trying to keep it together and find a new reason to keep living. Understandably...I didn't have much muse. Every time productivity and inspiration sparked it would fall right back to depression or anger. So it's...been hard._

 _I know you all want me to update as much as possible. I routinely get messages asking or even demanding I update, but I'm not a machine. I'm a human being struggling to find a way to make it through the day, let alone write. Getting messages like that don't motivate me, they just guilt me and make me less likely to update any time soon. It's hard sometimes to keep wanting to do something that has no real pay off. Emotional pay off I suppose, but it's not like I'm being paid to do this. I do it for fun and I want to enjoy it, not feel pressured._

 _I don't know how often I'll update now to be honest. Depending on how I feel it could be every few weeks to every few months. I might even get a spark of inspiration and write two chapters in one day like I did once, but just...please let me write on my own time. Or you're going to make me resent my story._

 _As to address a few questions, "Shattered Realities" has not been cancelled, but it is on an indefinite hiatus. I'm trying to determine its future but it's just so...vastly different from this universe that I'm having a hard time getting back in the mindset for it. But I did have an ending in mind so ultimately I might get back to it. I'm not sure._

 _For the other question, am I going to give Peridot her metal powers? ...No. I have specific reasons for that but this author's note is long enough as it is so I'll save it for the next chapter._

 _And as always, I hope you are all doing well. This chapter focuses mainly on Lapis and Jasper, but don't worry, Mother Garnet and Peridot star in the next one. (; I've changed the summary a bit since it's no longer just Peridot that needs Garnet's guidance as I had originally intended._

 _Enjoy the likely mediocrity of this chapter lol. It is pretty intense though...)_

* * *

Jasper's nightmares never came back but Steven ended up forcing himself to stay awake in case they did. His dream powers weren't a hundred percent and they didn't always automatically project him into someone's head. Head loppy, Steven cracked his eyes open when he heard a yawn. "Did'ja sleep well?"

"Things hurt..." Jasper grunted as she tried to sit up on the couch. She tilted her head side to side and tried to square her shoulders up. "What the hell?"

"That," Steven pointed out matter-of-factly. "Is the pains from a bad night's sleep. And you're going to keep having those until you talk to Lapis." He made a face. "And you'll keep having nightmares where your girlfriend melts into goo. And where Peridot is..." He shuddered.

"Don't think the Peri nightmares will go away anytime soon," Jasper mused as she glanced down at the sleeping green baby in question. "...But one thing at a time." She pet Peridot's head lightly and tiny green eyes opened. She looked strange without her visor. "Morning, brat."

The tiny green child rubbed her eyes. Her triangular hair stood up at all angles. "Not a brat..."

"Yeah." Jasper smirked. "You really are." She bent her head forward and soft rumbling purrs sounded as her gem clinked against the gemling's and rubbed it softly. The orange jasper glowed a gentle orange.

Steven's eyes drifted to the staircase. He could hear Lapis stretching and watched as she escaped out the window. Jasper had caught sight too and her eyes lowered.

"Well..." She feigned indifference as she set the gemling down. "I think you've used me as your pillow long enough. And I'm through with laying on that lumpy couch."

"Are you gonna try breakfast?" Peridot asked eagerly. She could hear the faint clinking of plates and sizzling of different earth ingredients on the stove for Steven. Just because she was a gem, it didn't mean she didn't like food too. "I've tried it, and it's rather satisfying! Apparently there's way more foods that I haven't even tried yet!"

Jasper faked a smile for the kid's sake, but even without the Lapis situation going on, she didn't feel like being chummy with any of the gems. "No, that's fine. You go...ingest things, but I really need to be alone right now."

Peridot looked a little crestfallen but she obediently shuffled over to the table, forgetting the situation the moment Garnet excitedly swooped her up. Steven couldn't be rid of quite that easy though and he followed on after her, out of the remains of the front door.

"What do you want, Quartz?" Jasper huffed tiredly. "I'm not interested in being _social_ with the gems I'd rather see ground into dust."

"Are you going to talk to Lapis?" Steven asked hopefully.

"Brat..."

"'Cause now is the perfect time!" he exclaimed. "You two will be alone without any of us to bother you!"

"Brat-"

"I can even keep everyone inside and distract them! Or get Garnets advice 'cause, you know, she's a couple herself and-"

"Maybe I don't WANT to talk, Steven!" Jasper finally snapped as she whirled to the boy. He silenced immediately.

"Wha..."

"Malachite?" The large gem raised an eyebrow. "Does that ring a bell? The whole 'trap-you-for-eternity'?" She chuckled coldly. "Pretty sure Lapis made her feelings perfectly clear with that..."

"Jasper, she was just upset..."

"Just butt out, alright?" Jasper snapped. Her hair hung down over her face. "I don't need a little pint sized just making things worse...Leave me alone."

The child watched her retreating back in distress. He made a move to call her but decided it was best to leave her alone. He glanced back to the house and saw breakfast was being made and Garnet was teaching Peridot how to flip pancakes.

He walked back in to laughter as the gems stared at a perfectly round slab of batter on the ceiling, and a baffled Peridot still holding her spatula.

"What's up, Steve-Man? You look down," Amethyst pointed out. The glob of batter on the ceiling fell and she opened her mouth to catch it. "And where's Muscles?"

"She wasn't feeling up to breakfast I guess," the boy sighed. He cast another worried glance out the window, but Jasper was nowhere to be seen. "Neither is Lapis. I haven't seen her since last night." He pulled a chair up to the counter and leaned over to Garnet. "Garnet, can we talk for a moment?"

Sensing the seriousness on the boy's face, she nodded and directed her stare back to a burning frying pan Pearl had turned her back on. "Pearl, the fire."

"The wh—OH MY STARS! AMETHYST, FIRE EXTINGUISHER!"

The group watched as Amethyst morphed into a purple fire extinguisher and Pearl grabbed her nozzle, spraying across the stove. "We can talk," Garnet finally said to Steven as she took him by the hand. "I have a feeling breakfast won't be for a while."

Away from the chaos in Steven's bedroom, the two sat down on the bed. "I'm guessing you want to talk about Lapis and Jasper?" Garnet guessed.

Steven blinked in surprise. "How'd you..." Garnet tapped her visor. "Future vision, that's right."

"I have to say, I'm surprised," Garnet admitted. "With the way the two treated each other I could never have imagined they were ever a thing. Then again, time can change a lot of things."

"What do I do?" Steven exclaimed. Garnet gave his nose a warning poke.

"You don't do anything."

"But-"

"Steven." Her voice was firm. "This is something that the two need to work out on their own."

"But they never will!" he cried, throwing his arms up. "That's just the thing! Lapis is too upset and Jasper has no idea how to make the first move! If they don't have at least a little push they'll just be stuck like this and be unhappy forever..." He gave her puppy eyes. "I've gotta meddle a little..."

She could never say no to that face and she knew it. Garnet gave a resigned sigh and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Well...you can't make them talk to each other. That's something they have to do on their own, but they do need some sort of motivation. Something to remind them of how much they care about each other." She poked him in the tummy gently. "Can you think of any...Steven way to do that?"

The child rubbed his chin. "A Steven way..." He glanced around his bedroom until his eyes fell on his ukelele. And his eyes lit up "A Steven way!" He bolted towards it, holding it up excitedly. "The power of song has never failed me before!"

Garnet chuckled. "That sounds about it. You can start your lyrics after breakfast."

"No time!" The boy was already running down the steps. "I've gotta start it now while the inspiration is still strong!" He scurried over to Peridot, who was apprehensively trying a slice of bacon. "Hey little sis, I need your help for a very important mission"

That got the gemling's attention almost immediately. She dropped the piece of meat and rose a skeptical eyebrow. "A mission, really? What do you need my help for?"

"It's a secret," Steven whispered in her ear. He couldn't stop grinning. "A really cool secret."

"Well, I fail to see how the temperature of this 'secret' is relevant, but okay." She slid back her plate and barely had the time to even catch her step as her brother yanked on her arm to bring her out of the house.

"Steven! What's the hurry?" Her eyes scanned the area with nervousness and excitement. "Is there a monster nearby? Some ancient artifacts to collect? Some..." He held up his ukulele to her face. "What is _that?"_

"My ukulele!" the boy chirped. "It's an instrument. It's how I make most of my music for singing!"

"Singing?!" Peridot became annoyed. "You dragged me away from my delicious and bizarre looking ingesting material for singing? I'm out." She started to storm grumpily back to the house.

"But it's about Jasper!"

Her attention caught again, the gemling glanced back. "How could singing be about Jasper? She hates singing."

"It's about Jasper and Lapis, actually. I wanna bring them back together." His sister looked hopelessly confused and the boy made entwining hand motions. "They used to be... _Garnet."_

 _"_ But Ruby and Sapphire are...wait." Peridot tilted her head and then she gaped in realization. "Oh! ...Oh? You're crazy," she snorted. "You should have seen how they treated each other on the ship. It looked like they wanted to tear apart the other almost daily. Lapis more then Jasper. Jasper even tried to be civil now and again but it was always rebuffed."

"That's because Jasper really hurt Lapis," Steven sighed. "They've both gotten so angry they've forgotten how to love. But I know they love each other! I saw it in their dreams!" A shudder. "I saw... _too much_ actually."

Peridot's face twisted in horror. "Was it like that time I walked in and Garnet had defused and Ruby and Sapphire were-"

"Yep." The children both shuddered and Steven pulled out his ukulele. "We need a happy but meaningful and sweet tune. Sour Cream told me you were good with lyrics."

Peridot flushed. "I suppose...sort of. Umm..." Steven started her off with a gentle tune and a few lyrics.

 _"Oh Jasper I know you love her_

 _I know you do_

 _I saw with my own eyes how much you do_

 _If you'd just stop being stubborn_

 _And just go forward and hug her"_

"That's good!" Peridot clapped. "Umm..."

 _"If you'd both just wake up_

 _Kiss and make up_

 _And see that all this pain is useless..."_

He strummed the last note after a moment and looked at his sister with a shrug. "It's not my best work but...you know. Maybe it'll help rouse old feelings of love!"

"That or bloodshed," Peridot murmured, but her brother was already dragging her off. "But—what about _breakfast?!"_

* * *

Jasper hated the ocean. She hated everything about this miserable planet but of course nothing was as bad as the ocean. Not after you've lived down there for a damn year, surrounded only by murky water and stinky fish. She didn't know how Lapis could love it so much, but then again, the ocean was built into her biology.

"At least I'm away from the idiots..." The wind blew a few bangs away from her face and she glanced over to see a blue form close by, on the edge of a rock. "Damn." Obviously Lapis would come here to think, but it wasn't like there was anywhere else for her to go.

"Steven, I'm hungry..." Peridot whined.

"Nice try, gems don't get hungry."

"Well I want pancakes!" She followed after her sibling as he pattered through the soft sand towards a larger boulder sticking up out of the grains. "Why are we hiding?"

"'Cause if they see us, they'll shoo us off." He clambered up onto the rock and pulled the gemling up beside him, standing unsteadily. "Whoa... You ready?"

"I guess so," Peridot griped. At least being on the boulder was the tallest she felt without her limb enhancers. "I really hope this works..."

Her ears pricked up like a cat the moment Jasper heard the music coming from somewhere. And Lapis turned too.

" _Oh Jasper I know you love her_

 _I know you do_

 _I saw with my own eyes how much you do_

 _If you'd just stop being stubborn_

 _And just go forward and hug her"_

Both gems burned with shock and embarrassment and Jasper groaned as she slid a hand down her face. "Ugh... _Steven."_

 _"And if you fall apart_

 _And if you fall apart_

 _You have friends to put you together..."_ Suddenly, Steven's eyes widened and he gasped as he pointed over to where Lapis was stalking over to Jasper. "It's working! She's going to go talk to her!"

Sure enough, Lapis was rather briskly striding towards Jasper. Her face was flushed indigo with rage. "Did you put them up to this?" she snarled.

The warrior was taken aback. "What? No! Why the hell would I?" she snapped.

"Seems like something you'd do," Lapis said sourly. "As some desperate attempt to get me to talk to you!"

"Oh look at the high and mighty princess!" Jasper laughed scornfully. "Back to the self absorbed bitch I used to assume you were! Maybe I don't want anything more to do with you then you do with me!"

"And what the hell would you have to be mad at ME for?" Lapis shouted. "What I did to you wasn't nearly as bad as what you did to me!"

"Oh sure! Because keeping you in a cage for a few weeks is completely just as bad as you imprisoning me in your own fucking tantrum fusion for a YEAR!"

The children watched in blank horror. "Is this...what you meant to happen?" Peridot whispered to Steven.

"No," the boy sniffled back.

"I was trying to protect Steven from you!"

"Oh sure, tell yourself that!" Jasper stormed over so she towered above the smaller gem, teeth bared in rage. "You know why you trapped us! You wanted to get back at me! Malachite had nothing to do with protecting the brat and you know it! You dragged me away from my mission, from Peridot, for a year! But sure, keep telling yourself it was all for the greater good and not at all for your own selfish vengeful desires!"

"And you're so much better?!" Lapis practically screamed back. "You claim everything is for the good of the mission, that coming here was just to protect Peridot but you know what you really wanted! You wanted revenge too! You wanted to kill the gems and this planet for taking Pink from you!"

"At least my revenge is more justified!" Jasper snarled.

"Well maybe if you were a better soldier you could have protected her from them in the first place..." Immediately Lapis knew she had gone too far as Jasper's eyes flashed to pain and instant murder.

"THAT DOES IT!" Summoning her helmet, the orange gem rammed forward like a bull and smashed the blue gem back into the sand.

The kids gasped in horror and Steven shielded their eyes from the sudden explosion of sand. "Guys, stop it!" Tears streamed. "THIS ISN'T WHAT THE SONG WAS MEANT TO DO!"

Lapis coughed out a puff of sand and narrowed her eyes venomously at Jasper as she pulled herself up. "You want to play, _Kitten?"_ she hissed softly. "Fine...let's _play!"_

A massive hand of water molecules shot out from the sand and grabbed the orange gem, lifting her high and starting to squeeze. Jasper grunted in pain and snarled as she fought its grip, feeling her form threatening to poof the tighter it squeezed. She finally burst through with an explosion of water and dropped back into the sand. "You're going to have to do better then that!"

"I'm barely warming up!" The molecules formed a large hammer which slammed down into the sand, Jasper barely managing to dodge its devastating blow. "You haven't seen what I can really do yet!"

Jasper threw a punch that Lapis managed to dodge and she slapped her across the face with her wing to distract her as a solidified club of water slammed harshly into the larger gem's back.

"Stop it!" Peridot cried desperately. "Stop fighting each other! Stop..." Both Steven and his sister stared in terror at a large shadow that began to fall over them. A tidal wave of water. "Brace yourself!" Steven yelled as he grabbed his sister. He formed a bubble just as the water hit them and tossed them mercilessly around like an out of control pinball.

"What on earth?!" Pearl gasped as water poured in through the windows, instantly flooding the house within moments. "What's going on?!"

"You guys!" Steven screamed, desperate to be heard over the roar of the sea and the now approaching storm clouds. "You're both going to destroy the city!"

"It's not my fault you were trapped here!" Jasper roared as she avoided a ball and chain formed out of water. "I'm not taking the blame for your pettiness! I'm not taking the blame for everything anymore! I didn't think you were stupid enough to wander down to earth during the war! I didn't know you were trapped here!"

"Like you would even care!" Lapis seethed. "When apparently I'm just nothing more then A PRISONER THAT BELONGS IN A CELL!" The full scale magic war delved into something you'd be more likely to find on the playground as Lapis leaped on Jasper. Hissing, yelling, punching, biting, kicking and exchanged hate ensued as the fight continued and the rain began to pound.

"What do we do? What do we do?!" Steven shrieked, not even sure how much longer his bubble could hold up against the force of the raging storm.

"I'll talk to Jasper!" Peridot broke free of the bubble, amidst her brother's desperate protests. "Jasper! Jasper!" She wobbled towards the pair through the whirling rain and winds, but the two didn't see her, and she was harshly kicked back several feet into the sand.

"Peridot!" Garnet shouted as the gems observed in horror from the balcony. "Jasper, Lapis, THAT IS ENOUGH!"

But the duo didn't hear, black and blue battered skin, tears, and shouts that had tapered off into broken, pained croaks.

"I should have known since the moment I met you!" Lapis half sobbed, clawing almost disoriently at Jasper's face. "You're a Jasper, you're meant to cause pain! You were built to break things! Break hearts! You were always meant to be a monster!"

Jasper's sharp claws suddenly dug into the nimble gem and she hurled her with all the strength she had in her. "I'M NOT A MONSTER! _I'M NOT!"_

Lapis plummeted backwards with the speed of an arrow and the force of a boulder as she suddenly slammed into something, and what happened next was truly horrific. Everyone cried out in horror as Lapis's body suddenly sparked with blue electricity and her eyes immediately dimmed to a glassy white sheen. Fragments of a blue stone fell into the sand and Lapis poofed, leaving only shattered remains on the ground.

"Oh no!" Pearl gasped. Amethyst ran over to check Peridot while Garnet bolted over to the shards. She was barreled over by Jasper, who raced on all fours and fell to her knees at the sand.

"LAPIS!" She bent over, trembling hands picking up the small shards as her vision blurred behind a wall of tears. "LAPIS!" She clutched the shards close. "I'm sorry!" the giant blubbered out through a sob. "I didn't...I didn't mean to! You were right, you were always right! I am bad! It's all I'll ever be! It's all I was meant to be! All I ever do is hurt people! Even...the ones I..."

Sniffling, Steven hurried over and placed a hand on Jasper's arm. "Jasper, it's okay! She...all the pieces are here. That...that means I can fix her, right?" He looked to the gems hopefully but they exchanged unsure glances.

"I'm gonna try!" He scooped up the shards and tried to piece them together like a puzzle, forming a shattered gem that somewhat resembled a raindrop. It looked like they all fit together. He pushed them together as tightly as he could and shakily slathered saliva all over the shards.

Hope was shattered for a moment when nothing happened, but at last a blue glow enveloped the shards and slowly mended them back together. Lapis reformed and fell motionless into the sand. Jasper exhaled slowly in relief and reached down to touch the delicate blue face. She pulled back at the last second and turned away. "I-I have to go."

"What?" Steven latched onto her hand before she could take another step. "What do you mean, _go?_ You can't leave!"

"Look at what I did!" Jasper whirled to him, pain on her face and tears in her eyes. "She's right, everyone is right about me! I...I'm bad! It's all I'll be! It's all I'm ever meant to be!" Steven dug his feet into the dirt, using his gem strength so he could at least stall her.

"You aren't bad-"

"Look at what I did, Steven!" she shouted. She gestured to the sleeping gem but the sight of her made her turn away. "I...I killed her! I hurt Peridot! If you weren't here, she'd be..." She couldn't finish that thought. "I have to leave."

"No, you aren't leaving!" He tugged back on her. She could easily punt him into the sea, but after the injuries she just caused Jasper didn't even want to chance moving. "Listen to me, you aren't bad! If you were bad then this all wouldn't even bother you! You wouldn't care if you hurt them if you were just bad, but you do! You're willing to leave them because you think that would be better for them but it isn't!"

She tried to pull her fist forward, and it dragged Steven slightly into the sand. "You don't understand! I'm meant to be a war machine." Suddenly, another hand clamped down on her other arm.

"And I'm meant to not even exist." Garnet had her hand on her hip, stern. She removed her visor. "Pearl was meant to be a droid. Amethyst was meant to be bigger and Peridot's gem was meant to function." That hand suddenly grabbed Jasper's chin and forced her to look at her. "But we aren't what we're meant to be, because we don't have to be. Pearl is herself; her own unique individual person, and Amethyst is a wonderful special being, big or not. Peridot is a small gemling with more love and strength then I've ever seen. And Ruby and Sapphire will always be together and nothing will split them apart."

"My point is, our lives are not scripted. Our destinies are not written for us the moment we pop out of the earth. We create them on our own. Rose Quartz helped us see that, and I know you hate her and I'm sorry for the pain you went through, but I think you could really use that lesson right now."

Lost looking golden eyes stared into Garnet's. They squinted as her finger wiped away a tear. "Destroying...it's in my programming. And hate, it's hard to let go of it." She shut her eyes. "And what if I fail?"

"Then you fail," Garnet said simply. "Failing is part of life. You try again, and if you let yourself, you'll have help around you if you need it."

Jasper slowly looked around at the other gems. Neither of them looked at her with contempt, and a certain little green gem looked up with wide green eyes as she hugged around her leg tightly.

"Lapis needs you right now," Garnet told Jasper. "And you need her. You've both been through a lot. You've both been through a lot of pain and trauma. You need to find strength in each other, like you did so long ago."

Jasper looked over as Pearl walked over with the sleeping Lapis tucked against her. She offered her to Jasper but the gem snapped backwards as if she was a poisonous snake.

"It's okay," Garnet said gently. "Don't be afraid."

Jasper stared down at her old love's still form; her soft lashes and the silky hair framing her small delicate face. She made a pained noise and enveloped her into her arms. "My angelfish..." she sniffled softly. "I'm so sorry. I was so obsessed with my hatred for the Crystal Gems and getting revenge for keeping you from me...that I forgot to just...appreciate having you back with me. I was so angry that I forgot...how much I loved you."

Lapis mumbled something in her sleep and turned into Jasper's chest.

"She'll be okay, right?" Peridot asked as she touched Jasper's arm. In a free hand Jasper scooped her up.

"Yeah, she'll be okay. And what about you, runt? How's your face?" She touched gently where there was a bruise beginning to form.

"It's fine. It's not the first time you've accidentally assaulted me. Probably won't be the last." Jasper winced but Peridot just snuggled into her neck.

The rest of the gems smiled. "Let's go," Garnet advised, starting to lead them back to the house. "Lapis should rest and so should you," she pointed out sternly to Jasper. "Your gems shouldn't be strained like that yet. And when you wake I want to talk to you both about what just transpired out here and how your squabble nearly killed the children."

Drained from the fight and her emotions, Jasper didn't have it in her to snarl back or get angry. Was this what life with the Crystal Chumps would be like? A chastising every time she got angry? Her shoulders just fell in dread. "Fine..."

"First we'll get Lapis comfortable in a bed." Garnet scooped up Peridot.

"Great, and can we _finally_ have breakfast?"


	17. Reeeeally Long Important Author's Note

Hey guys. Sorry, this isn't a chapter. I know, I know, you probably really got your hopes up. FRET NOT THOUGH. The next chapter is more then half written. It's also really long and full of fluff so those of you who like long fluff, yer in for a treat.

So this was going to be an author's note in the beginning of the next chapter per usual, but then I realized IT'S SO LONG that it just had to be separate. Or like...it would overtake the entire chapter and probably crash slow computers. I'm mainly going to be answering a few questions and discussing this fic's future here because there's quite a lot of it.

Anyway! As you all know, this fic was meant to be short. Actually if I'm being realistic here, it was meant to be...a one shot, as all of my 'oneshots' are meant to be. I thought I actually had a good outline for the rest of the story to condense it all within only like ten more chapters buuuut I don't. I realize there's a shit ton more that I want to incorporate that could very well stretch this thing to like twenty or even thirty more chapters. There's a lot of arcs I want to cover.

This story started with Peridot and Garnet as the main focus obviously, and Steven, but I've branched out more and I want to continue branching out. The main themes of this story are "healing, coping, and learning where you're meant to be in this world." With the arrival of the rest of the Homeworldies I realized I had a lot more to cover, especially when I decided to give Jasper and Lapis a significant history and a relationship. They alone need a huge portion of the story to work out their issues and try to get back to what they used to be before everything happened.

There's a lot I want to focus on, a lot of relationships I really want to develop that goes far past my original idea. Peridot was the only one in the beginning that needed guidance, but now there's two others Garnet has to look after. Not to mention the potential impact that their arrival will have on our already existing Crystal Gem family. I also really want to give some focus on poor Pearl and Amethyst, who have otherwise been shafted thus far. I do have a cute Pearl ad Peridot chapter planned.

As much as I adore Peridot and this fic will continue circling back to her, her _main_ arc is close to completed since it involved becoming family, bonding and reconnecting with old family, and most importantly, learning to cope with her disabilities. Yes I said disabilities. As I said before, I'm not giving her powers and I'll get into that after this.

Lapis and Jasper are the main focus now. Where Lapis needs more healing, Jasper...has a lot of issues to work out. Like, a lot. Her arc is probably the largest and deals with a shit ton of things; developing a bond with Garnet, healing things with Lapis, and most importantly letting go of the past and her hatred for the gems she's now stuck with. There's a focus with her and Steven big time, because he's this kid that helped her and cares about her and she cares about him for that, but she still resents him because of the part of him that's Rose. And an arc I'm SUPER excited for, is the "Sister" arc which deals with Amethyst and Jasper of course. That alone is like...four chapters.

Lapis has her arcs too. Like I said, she needs a lot of healing and help, and I also want to focus on her and Peridot. Since Jasper is kinda Peridot's 'co-parent' Lapis needs to learn to bond with this kid too. And as you'll see, her patience level is kinda thin lol. But she's a lot more accepting with her situation already because she just wants to let go of the past. Jasper however, is going to have a hard time doing that...

So there's a lot of things coming up and likely foreshadowing within the next few chapters of one of the biggest arcs, _Pink Diamond._ I'll be exploring her past relationship with Jasper, who she even was as a person, and the final thing to tie in the arc...is she really... _dead?_ Hm...

"Grief" got a great deal of good reception (anyone who hasn't read "Grief" please do so, srsly that is like one of the greatest things I've ever written), and a lot of people wanted more then just a oneshot, which although is something I wanted to deliver, I didn't know how to continue it there, but I feel like with the Pink Diamond arc Yellow Diamond could very well get a little bit of a focus as well in this story.

I suppose the main question here is how am I going to go about doing it. I could do what the show does and do one arc after the other, but some of them are very long and I feel like it'd get tiring for the readers if I focus on one character for too long so I want to spread them out but in a way that they tie together and make sense. This story _was_ going to end with Jasper and Lapis and even Peridot ultimately deciding where they wanted to go and where home is, but I think the main end goal has shifted. Now instead, I'm aiming for _every significant character_ we've seen thus far coming to peace with the past and present. Although a lot of that DOES go back to Garnet. As the "mom" she is going to be helping a lot of them get there.

I guess tbh the rest of this likely long story is going to be my rendition of the rest of Steven Universe lol So those of you who love long stories, well you're in for quite a treat.

Now onto the biggest question that I've been asked many times over: **why am I not giving Peridot her metal powers?**

Well before "Too Short To Ride" aired, I headcanoned Peridot as disabled, per say, and that her gem was incapable of anything beyond reforming really—hence why she needed her limb enhancers and weapons in the first place. I was a little disappointed when it turned out she did have powers after all and I toyed with the idea for a while before ultimately deciding that wasn't what was going to happen in my fic and I wanted her to stay disabled.

See, as a disabled person myself I know that it's not realistic for a character to just magically heal from their ailments—at least, it seldom happens in real life, and I hate how characters with disabilities sometimes seem to somehow heal completely. "Oh I'm better now because I believed in myself!" No, that's not how it works unless you have really shitty writing or a magic spell _is_ a factor there. And no I'm not bashing on the crew's writing with the metal powers; I'm talking in general with characters that have disabilities. I know the crew wasn't aiming for "disabled".

Disabilities more often then not means "coming to terms" and "coping". You learn who you are and how to live life the way you are, with the support of family and friends. _That_ is your healing. That is the type of thing I wanted to portray with Peridot. Perhaps I am projecting slightly, but hey. I think disabled people should have some good representation and that is the type I want to write. I'll also be exploring—in the next chapter actually—how Peridot even wound up as disabled in the first place, and what exactly _is_ an "infantile gem"? How in a world of grown gems is she a child?

So yeah. As you can see, there is a lot, a lot planned and I'm incredibly excited. But don't think just because I have all this planned that I will be updating constantly. I covered all that in my last author's note that I will be updating in my own time. But I'm definitely not going to be abandoning this fic any time soon because I have a clear idea of how it will end—just not when.

It's still a long ride yet and I really hope you'll all join me on it! Expect the next chapter probably sometime next week or maybe sooner if the writing bug bites me.

And Merry Christmas, or whatever you celebrate! ^^


	18. Shop Til You Drop

_(AN: Merry Day After Christmas! I hope you all enjoyed it. I really wanted to post this sooner, but I've been working on a Jasper doll for a client so I had to prioritize a bit. This chapter came out longer then I intended, but it's packed full of cute, so I don't think anyone will complain._

 _In my long author's note I mentioned how I hadn't decided how I was going to incorporate everything new I decided to put into the story. Well, I have figured out a way to balance every character well and ultimately come to a resolution for everyone involved. And yes, it is exactly twenty more chapters~! I mean that could change if I decide that two chapters can actually fit into one or I decide to add more, but twenty is definitive for now. So like SU I'm going to drop every title name that's left, but also like SU, I'm only gonna give vague details for the next five. ;) Have fun speculating!_

 _"Sea Monkeys" - Lapis's parenting skills are put to the test_

 _"The Real Quartz" - Amethyst mulls over some hidden bitterness_

 _"Over The Line" - Steven goes too far when he tries to help feuding friends_

 _"Corrupted Honor" - Jasper reunites with friends in the Kindergarden_

 _"Ghosts In The Woods" - The Homeworld gems hear their first spooky campfire story_

 _"Sword Training"_

 _"Message From Beyond"_

 _"Capture The Eye"_

 _"Agate"_

 _"Rose Petals"_

 _"Shard Hunt"_

 _"Lion: Origins"_

 _"Love Of A Mother"_

 _"Impressing The In Law"_

 _"Truth Of The Rebellion"_

 _"Family Feud"_

 _"My Dear Sisters"_

 _"Coexistence"_

 _"Together As One"_

 _AND FINALLY! This fic now has a tumblr! It has so far nothing on it but you will be able to talk to me and I can hopefully respond to fans in a more efficient manner. Also, much art, and fic rambles. Follow me at reachingnewground_

* * *

It was late in the night that Lapis finally opened her eyes. They squinted in pain as her head pounded. Healing spit could heal her stone, but the rest of the physical strain might take a while. "Ugh...my head is spinning." She barely had time to sit up before a large blur at the edge of the bed grabbed her. Lapis seized and prepared to fight back, but she immediately recognized the warm and large arms.

"I'm sorry!" Jasper cried into her hair. Her large form shook with suppressed emotion as she nuzzled the blue wisps of hair. "I was so...angry, so desperate for revenge that I forgot the most important thing to me... _you._ "

Lapis's eyes widened. Her arms fell to her side, not reciprocating the hug but also not pulling away.

"I was so consumed with my own hate that I forgot about everything else. I forgot about you. I was...so absorbed in my own pain that I didn't even consider everything you must have gone through. But you were right... I'm only built to hurt, even when I don't mean to do it." Her head bowed forward in resignation. "I've socked Peridot in the face like three times since I've been here, and I...you..." She didn't want to say the words, she didn't want to relive it. "You were always right... I am a monster."

Lapis gave a deep sigh and hesitantly thread her fingers through the giant's hair. When she felt the dearly missed softness of her old love's mane she pressed her cheek against a large poof of it and then gripped Jasper tightly. "You aren't a monster..."

Jasper whirled away in self disgust. "But I am," she growled. "A monster and...a terrible excuse for a warrior. I'm a Jasper, I'm built to be strong and yet..." Her breath caught. "I couldn't save...the one person I was supposed to protect...my leader."

Lapis's eyes slid shut in guilt as she winced. There was nothing worse then that remark she made. It would take years to undo that damage, she imagined. "No...Jasper...that's just not true." She inched closer. "It isn't."

"You said it yourself and you were right."

"Forget what I said," Lapis pleaded. Easier said then done. "Pink...it would have happened with or without you there. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... I should never have said that, no matter how angry I was. You couldn't have been expected to protect her."Lapis settled a hand on her shoulder. "But hating them for it... it's not going to help. What's done...is done. ...We have to look to the future."

"What future?" Jasper laughed harshly. "We don't...have one! We're stuck on the enemy planet and yet if we go back...we'll be killed. You will, at least. They were already on the fence about you..." Her fists clenched. "I can't let that happen. And I can't take Peridot from all of this. She needs them...far more then she needs me."

Lapis rested her cheek in her hand. "And what are you going to do if you go back? Returning without the kid and me? What do you think would happen then? Do you really want to spend...the rest of your life as one of their drones?" She tilted Jasper's head towards her. "You know that Yellow Diamond doesn't care about you. She's not Pink. Working for her...isn't going to bring Pink back."

Lapis's blue eyes roved the darkness around them. Even over the railing she could see the children and Garnet curled up together on the couch, likely not wanting to leave them alone. "They aren't so bad..."

Jasper turned to stare at her. "They kidnapped you."

Lapis shrugged awkwardly. "Well not...completely. They didn't, they just...kept me in there." Her eyes narrowed resentfully but she quickly shook it off. "But I'm done being bitter about the past. I don't want to be angry anymore. I've been free from the ocean, free from Homeworld and I still felt so trapped because I was so angry... And I was trapped by my own hatred." She looked over to her old mate. "...And it's something I never even wanted to feel to you."

Jasper didn't look at her, but she grabbed her hand. "Yeah...me neither. I never could hate you. I thought I did after Malachite but..." Her shoulders fell. "I guess I deserved Malachite."

"No..." An impish smile came to Lapis's face. "You only deserved some of it." The two shared their first genuine smile in thousands of years.

"I can think of lots of things you deserve," Jasper smirked. "Little guppy."

Lapis laughed. "Are you ever going to run out of fish nicknames for me? 'Cause I can definitely think of some for you, though none are 'gemling friendly." She giggled as Jasper bumped her gem against her face. But her gem suddenly flashed and she cried out as she gripped it. "Jasper?!" Lapis gasped. The same piercing pain assaulted her own gem and she arched her back. "Ugh!"

Holding her gem nose, Jasper fell against the bed with a heavy thunk. "I guess this is the 'strain' that Fusion Machine was talking about." They had been fused for a year after all. "Let's not tell her about this pain. Don't want to give her an excuse to say 'I told you so.'"

Definitely not wanting to be chastised herself, Lapis chuckled and fell against the pillow beside her former mate with a small fluffy plop. "Yeah...deal." Their eyes shut and their fingers reached out and entwined together in the darkness.

* * *

"Hey, can someone open the door?" Greg wasn't even sure his voice could be heard, muffled beneath stacks of paper bags and boxes. He couldn't even see anything. ...He hoped he was at the right house.

"Who is ittt?" a giggling voice sang back through the window. Oh yeah, he was at the right house...

"Open the door, you monkey!" Greg kicked the bottom of the door playfully. Steven scurried away giggling and Garnet was the one that finally opened the door. Greg set down the boxes and bags and turned with a playful glare towards his son.

"Thank you Greg." The gems started to unload the groceries while Greg dashed after his giggling son. Garnet pulled a small slip of paper out of one of the bags. "What is this?"

Greg looked up from where he was thoroughly noogieing Steven. "Oh, a complimentary scratch lottery ticket. I think the store was trying to advertise its new raffle or something so they gave me a free ticket. I thought I'd give it to you guys." He shrugged. "I make some money, but you're all penniless."

Garnet stared blankly at the sheet of paper. "What do I do with it?"

"Can I eat it?" Amethyst wondered.

"What? No!" Greg snatched it back and gave it to Garnet. "You take a coin or something sharp and scratch at the part that has the silver part until you've revealed the numbers. Then you compare it to the top numbers and the prizes to see if you won anything."

Garnet nodded. "Amethyst, a coin." Amethyst transformed into a purple dollar and Garnet started scratching the ticket with her.

"Well, I...was going to offer you a coin, but okay." Greg leaned over her to see the ticket and his eyes widened. "Garnet, you have some numbers there!"

"Some numbers?" The fusion blinked and looked the ticket over. Sure enough, they matched up with a few on the top.

"Whoa, you won five hundred dollars!" Greg exclaimed. "...Maybe I should have kept that one."

"Five hundred dollars!" Steven bolted over, stars in his eyes. "Garnet, that's amazing! Think of everything you can do with that money! Think of everything you could buy! You could get a cheap pre owned car!"

Garnet stared at the ticket, not completely understanding everyone's enthusiasm. Then again, gems didn't need any material possessions. "But I don't need anything." She glanced over to Steven and Peridot-who was chowing on cereal. "...But you two do." Steven needed food and clothes and everything else that humans did, and Peridot enjoyed some of those things too.

"Shopping trip?" Steven squeaked excitedly, bouncing up and down.

"Peridot!" Garnet called out. Green cheeks puffing out, the gemling scurried over. She wiped milk off her face.

"Mmph-yef?"

"You need a new visor don't you?"

"A visor!" the child squeaked excitedly and gave a happy hop. "Yes, I need one! Are we getting one?!"

"Yes," Garnet chuckled, petting her hair softly. "Among other things. Clothes, food..."

"Toys?" Steven perked hopefully. Garnet rolled her eyes with a smile.

"I suppose toys."

Greg chuckled as he unloaded the rest of the groceries and turned to leave. "Well I hope you three have fun with your prize money." He blinked when Garnet put a hand on his arm.

"I need you to come."

"Wha-?!"

"I'm clueless when it comes to humans," Garnet admitted sheepishly. "Surely you know that..."

Greg thought back to all the times the gems interacted with Steven as a baby, and remembered quite fondly, Rose letting Sour Cream climb a Ferris wheel. "Oh yeah, I know." He gave a wry smile and then looked over at the starry eyed, hopeful face of his son. "Ah fine. I suppose I can use a day out too."

Pearl and Amethyst smiled over at the group. "Well you two have fun," Pearl told them. "Amethyst and I are going to try and track down the Tiger's Eye."

"Yeah, so we can beat it up for trying to liquify the green bean..."

"Did I hear something about beating up?" An excited voice came from above as Jasper abruptly landed hard on the living room floor. Lapis flew down as well, rolling her eyes.

"Whoa..." Greg stepped back cautiously. "You're the..."

Jasper turned around. "Oh hey. Uhh..." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Sorry, I guess...about trying to kill you and your son earlier."

"Ah it's fine." Greg waved his hand dismissively. "It's water under the bridge. Happens...alarmingly frequently actually."

Jasper turned back to Garnet, as excited as a child. "Did I hear we're beating something up?! Wha-!" Garnet abruptly grabbed her by the back of the collar and turned her back around to the stairs.

"You aren't beating anything up," the fusion said sternly. "Neither of you. I told you, your gems are still delicate right now. So the both of you are going to march upstairs, back to that bed and rest. Or I'm going to poof you both into a bubble until I'm _sure_ your gems are fully recovered. Got it?"

Jasper scowled but Lapis looked more accepting, and rather to tired to complain.

"And..." Garnet got closer, holding up a warning finger. "If you ever put those kids in danger again between one of your little spats, you _are_ going to be in huge trouble with me. Clear?"

Jasper glared but her eyes had a wary look to them. "...Crystal." She kept scowling until Lapis's tug on her arm finally led her back sulkily to the bed.

Steven watched them go. "When are their gems gonna be out of danger?"

Garnet frowned skeptically. "It's hard to say I suppose. When Amethyst and I formed Sugilite it was merely a day and even that...was incredibly draining. We didn't feel well for a week. And that was a day. A _Day._ " She looked concerned. "This was a...whole year. We're going to have to take care of them."

Upstairs they heard a certain warrior growl. "I don't need anyone to take care of me!"

Garnet chuckled. "That just proves it," she said to the giggling children. "But first, we're going to go and have some fun!"

* * *

The streets were as busy as a tiny city of an even tinier population could be. Steven waved to Jenny and Kiki as they delivered their pizzas and to Sadie and Lars as they made their way to work. Peridot followed her brother's gesture but didn't quite know why she was waving at total strangers.

Each adult had a child on their shoulders; Greg Steven, and Garnet Peridot of course. Peridot was closely studying Greg from behind Garnet's hair, her little eyes narrowed like a cat.

Greg gave her a tense smile. "So...you're the little baby gem that adopted my son as your brother, huh?"

Peridot scoffed harshly. "I am NOT a baby! The very idea—how dare you...!" Garnet stilled her thrashing.

"She's...an infantile gem," the fusion explained. "It's slightly different then a human baby." She let Peridot climb on top of her hair. "Gems are harvested as full grown beings normally, but there are rare cases where upon harvest...they haven't been fully developed. Sort of like human babies that are born...prematurely?" She remembered that much from the baby book she had borrowed from Greg.

"An infantile is a gem that was harvested prematurely, which can cause various...issues." She would not use the word 'defect.' "Gem impairment, intellectual impairment, social impairment..." Peridot had proven to be incredibly intelligent when it came to technology; that part of her biology hadn't been screwed up. "Infantiles are usually terminated unless...they show some sign of..." She pursed her lips. " _Usefulness._ "

"So she just has to grow up and she'll be okay?" Steven asked hopefully.

Garnet shook her head sadly and brushed through Peridot's hair. "Gems can't grow up. We're harvested as we are. She...can learn to cope with the effects of her infantile harvest but she can't...grow out of it. Some things can't be fixed."

"Like my gem..." Peridot mumbled. Garnet opened her mouth to disagree but nothing came out.

"Aw hey, it's okay." Greg pat the gemling's back. "I mean...it's kind of being like a human! We don't have magic powers but we get by. We're still cool!" The child wrinkled her face up.

"So what's first on this list?" Garnet asked, finally setting Peridot down.

"Well I mean...it's not in any specific order," Greg shrugged. He tapped Steven's nose. "Stuball needs some new pants since he keeps _staining_ all the ones I got him."He tickled his son's foot and Steven squealed.

"Clothes." Garnet looked at the list they had prepared and back down at Peridot, who was back in her usual uniform. "I bet they've got some cute clothes for you too. Like Steven's oversized t-shirt you sleep in."

"Clothes, hm..." Peridot tilted her head over towards the window of a shop. A white top with a green collar and a sparkly green tu-tu immediately caught her eye. "GARNET! I WANT THAT!" The child bolted quickly into the shop and Steven immediately followed.

"Guess clothes shopping is first on the list," the fusion mused as she followed the children into the store. Peridot practically had stars in her eyes as she stared at the tutu.

"It's so shiny. So shiny... I want it."

"It would look cute on you," Greg agreed. It was for a five or six year old, but that was close to Peridot's size. He looked over at Steven, who was also eyeing the tutu with stars. "And what are you looking at, monkey?"

"It really is pretty." He touched the fabric of the tutu. "Look, they even have it in my size too!"

Greg chuckled. "I came here to get you some new pants and now you want a dress?"

"But if Peridot got it we could be twins!" Steven took the dress off the rack and gave Garnet and Greg pleading puppy dog eyes. The two parents looked at each other.

"Well I would never want to break up some sibling bonding," Greg teased as he took the dress from his son. "But you're still getting pants!"

Garnet plucked a smaller size of the dress off the clothes rack and they made their way to the front. "We'll take two of these please." She slid the dresses over to the salesclerk. The woman smiled at Peridot but wrinkled her nose slightly at Steven.

"Don't tell me the other dress is for you. Don't you think a boy wearing a dress is a little inappropriate?"

Steven didn't even have time to get his heart broken or Greg to snap a reply because Garnet beat them to it as she smashed her fist down on the counter. Even without her gauntlets, it cracked and the woman gasped as she backed up.

"We'll. Take. Two. Of. These," Garnet punctuated slowly and quietly. The woman trembled.

"Two, certainly." She bagged it hurriedly and never took her eyes off the steaming fusion. "I'll even give you the other one for free."

The children changed in the dressing room and pranced out with adorable matching green tutus. "Look, it's so flowy!" Peridot practically squealed as she marveled at her very first bought piece of clothing. "I didn't know there were so many different types of these things!"

Garnet scooped the gemling up again and tapped her nose affectionately. "I almost can't tell the two of you apart now."

Steven gave a little twirl and bounced up the fabric. "How's it look, Dad?" he grinned.

"Better then pants, kiddo," Greg chuckled. But he still had a small armload of pants to buy for his son. "You like looking just like your sister, huh?" It felt really weird calling Peridot that, but that was how Steven saw her. It was especially bizarre since it implied Garnet was Steven's... Well, he couldn't blame him for that. Steven didn't have a mom after all, and if he saw someone else that way, who was he to take that away from him?

"You sure showed that rude woman a thing," Greg snickered at the fusion as they left the store with bags of clothing.

Garnet shrugged. "I don't like anyone telling someone what they can and cannot do." She didn't listen when she was told she couldn't be Garnet, after all.

Peridot tilted her head up at her mother. "You tell me what to do all the time." She giggled when Garnet pinched her cheek.

"Well that's different. I'm older, I'm the leader, and your 'mom.' The things I tell you to do or not do are for your benefit." She blew a raspberry against Peridot's face and she squealed.

Perched on his father's shoulders, Steven poked him in the head. "I'm not gonna listen to you tell me what I can and can't do either," he teased. Greg smirked and made a grab for Steven's feet.

"Better watch what you say when your little toes are so close to my fingers..." Greg looked up when he spotted a booth next to the arcade. "Oh hey, is that a photo booth? We haven't done that in forever! I didn't even think those things were around anymore..."

Steven hopped down with Peridot and the two ran over to it. "What's a photo booth?" Peridot wondered.

"Oh it's this super cool thing where you go into this little cubicle behind a curtain and you make funny faces and stuff, and it takes your picture!" Steven exclaimed. "And then you have a photo, a picture of you and your family to cherish forever!" He tugged on his father's shirt. "Daa-aaad, I wanna do it!"

"Can't say no to that." Greg dug into his pocket and pulled out a coin. "It's been a long time since we've even gotten a photo together after all. We gonna smile normally or make a goofy face?" He walked through the curtain with his son.

Peridot stared quizzically as she heard giggling inside the booth, but she couldn't see anything. A bright flash went off and she shrieked. "What is that?!" She started to run to the booth, but Garnet gently caught her. "Did they get zapped by lasers?"

"No Peridot," Garnet chuckled. "Just watch."

The two emerged, still laughing and Greg went to collect the photos at the slot. "Huh? Hey Steven, it's got some more options here!" He pointed to a touch screen above the slot, where it displayed the photo of them both on the screen. They were both strumming invisible guitars. "We can add frames and everything!"

"And look!" Steven flicked the buttons on the screen until he found a long white beard for his Dad. "I can make you even older!"

"Old?! C'mere!"

Peridot and Garnet watched as father dashed after his laughing son once more, chasing him around the booth. "I want to do it too!" Peridot looked up at the fusion. "I want photos!"

Garnet tapped her chin thoughtfully and her eyes moved up and down the booth. "...I want to, but I don't think I'll fit." She laughed. "I'll break the booth!"

"Shape shift!" Steven exclaimed, upside down in his father's arms. His face was getting red. "Shape shift and become smaller!"

Garnet looked thoughtful for a moment, and then a grin broke her face. "I have a better idea." She dispersed into two separate beings of light, and then Ruby and Sapphire stood there in the spot.

"Ahhhhh!" Steven's eyes lit with stars as he wriggled out of Greg's arms. "RUBY AND SAPPHIRE!" He practically barreled the mini moms over, and Peridot quickly followed suit.

"I hardly ever see you two!" Peridot exclaimed happily. She giggled as Sapphire nuzzled her cheek. They were the same size now.

"Yeah, well we figured we'd give Garnet a break for a while." Ruby noogied Steven. "Let you two spend some time with the original moms. The mini moms."

"And we had to fit into the booth somehow," Sapphire pointed out. "Which we can now, if you still want to do that picture."

"Yeah!"

They crowded into the booth and were still barely able to fit, wedged tightly between two walls. They couldn't even wiggle. "Aw it's okay!" Steven chirped, his cheeks smushed slightly together. "We're so close, nothing can separate us, get it? Say cheese!"

"Why would I talk about an earth food when I'm trying to get my photo taken?" Peridot wondered just as the flash went off. "...Did I do it right?"

The group crowded around the display screen. "Are there hearts, Sapphy?" Ruby asked as she flicked through the options. "Choose hearts! Aw look at us, we're so cute! Like that's any real surprise..."

Steven pressed at the buttons. "Haha look, Peridot you have sunglasses!...Glasses!"

Sapphire's eyes widened. "Peridot's visor, that's right!" She smiled at the gemling. "I almost forgot...that was the main reason we came here!"

Greg pulled his list out and scanned it over. "Yep, circled in red, so it must be pretty important."

"Of course!" Peridot huffed. "I wouldn't be a Peridot without my visor!"

"There's an everything store!" Steven pointed over to a larger shop at the corner. "An almost everything store. They've got accessories and TOYS!"

The toy acclamation didn't seem to excite her as much as the mention of more visors. "Visors, really?" She tugged on Sapphire's shirt. "Mother—s, visors! Let's go get me some visors!"

Sapphire smiled. "That is what we came here for, after all. Want me to carry you again?"

Peridot looked at her doubtfully. "You're the same size I am!" she exclaimed. "You can't carry me."

Sapphire put her hands on her hips. "Is that a challenge, gemling?" She reached over and grabbed the baby, perching her on her shoulders. Even though Peridot was the same size, Sapphire didn't falter in her step at all.

Greg smiled as they walked along. "Man it's been so long since I've seen you two. How are you both adjusting to the mom life? And life with your new 'gem kids'?"

Ruby had Steven laying tummy down on her head, like she had when they were Garnet. "Slow. It's a slow process with Lapis and Jasper. Especially Jasper."

"They're trapped on a planet they don't know kindly and we don't want to pressure them and frighten them," Sapphire sighed. "They've been through a lot. Neither of them know kindness when it comes to us. Hopefully it's something we can change..."

"VISORS!" Peridot suddenly shrieked as she wiggled to get off of Sapphire's head, and bounded over to a rack of sunglasses just outside of the store. "There's so many! Why are they all dark tinted..?"

"They're sunglasses," Steven explained. "They're dark so the sun doesn't hurt our eyes. Human eyes are sensitive."

Peridot tried on a pair and wrinkled her nose. "It's hard to see..." She looked through the racks but none of them caught her interest until she came upon a pair of green star glasses. "Ahhhh! They're green, and they have stars!" The stars in her own eyes reflected them. "They're perfect! Ruby, Sapphire, can I...?"

"Don't see why not!" Ruby chuckled. She reached out and grabbed a pair of large dark ones, settling them over her own eyes. "Hey Sapphy, am I 'hot'?" Sapphire kissed her nose. "Always."

Steven pressed his face up against the window of the store and peered in. He could see distant trinkets and toys littered about the shelves; easily enough to catch any normal child's eye. "Dad, can I get a toy?"

Greg ruffled his hair. "Ask the love birds, kiddo. Garnet's the one that won the money. I'm just the guide here."

Sapphire and Ruby looked over at the starry eyed Steven, and the ever curious Peridot. "Can't say no to such precious faces," Sapphire remarked. "You can each get a toy."

"TOYS!" Steven burst through the shop doors and dragged along his sister. There were endless toys through out the shop, even at the front alone. Steven was most interested in the model plane hanging from the ceiling and Peridot looked over at a remote control train.

"What are toys?" the gemling wondered. She poked at a wind up toy and it started to move. To her it seemed generally useless.

"They're things to entertain you!" Steven explained. "Things to play with when you're bored. Toys are fun and they make you feel better. Especially the soft ones." He hugged a teddy bear.

"Then..." Peridot looked at the toys thoughtfully. "Don't you think this would serve Jasper and Lapis better? They're probably bored upstairs and they're definitely sad and could use something to make them feel better."

Stevens hands fell from where they were starting to pick up his model plane. "Oh yeah...I didn't think about that I guess. We should get them something!" He turned to the two gems and his father. "What do you think?"

Ruby and Sapphire exchanged the kind of smiles only proud mothers would have. "Sounds like a great idea," Ruby grinned. "Find 'em something they'll like."

"Weeeelll...Lapis loves the water." Steven looked around the shelves for something his friend would like. "Maybe something with fish or water, or...oh, here!" He picked up a box. "I had this when I was little! It's a game where you use this little fishing rod with a magnet attached and you try to pick up these plastic fish with it as the game rotates. It's a fishing game, she'll love it! She can even play it with Jasper."

Peridot had doubts Jasper would like something like that but she kept quiet and just looked around the shelves. "And what for Jasper?"

"Well..." Steven rubbed his chin. "I'm not sure. There's toys that are games, toys that are messy, or creative, or funny or something soft to hug! What does she like?"

"Beating things up," Peridot said simply.

Steven winced a little and boosted himself up so he could see further into the shelves. "This?" He pulled back with a Rock'em Sock'em Robot game. "It's a game where you play with these plastic robots and fight each other! You punch the other robot!"

Peridot shook her head. "She _would_ like that, but she'd get too into it. She'd break it in a minute."

"A punching bag?"

"She'd break that too..."

The two children mulled on gift ideas while Ruby and Sapphire browsed through the aisles. Something caught their attention, and Ruby let out a sharp gasp. "Ohhhhh my stars, SAPPHY LOOK!" She bolted over to something in the corner, and the group followed.

"Aw..." Greg tilted his head down at it. "Now that's cute."

"Well..." Peridot shrugged. "That's something soft that she can hug."

Sapphire looked at her girlfriend and rolled her eye playfully at the excited tears. "Ruby, don't you think the house is hectic enough without something like this?"

"B-BUT IT'S SO TINY!" Ruby wailed. "What do you think Steven?"

Steven grinned. "I think...we found Jasper's gift!"

* * *

"Any twos?"

"Go...fish?" Jasper looked at one of the cards in her hand quizzically. "Is that what I say? What even is the point of this game?"

"Not sure." Lapis shrugged. "It's a time killer, at least. Steven taught me, and it has fish. Any threes?"

"Naw, go-JEEZ!" Jasper was cut off with an abrupt shriek as two excited little bundles bounded onto the bed, and Steven landed on her stomach. "I'm not a chair, what the hell?!"

"We brought presents!" Steven sing-songed as he held a bag containing Lapis's. And Peridot held a box containing Jasper's. "We thought it might help you both feel a lot better! And keep you entertained!"

Jasper looked less then enthused, especially since the kid was still on her, but Lapis smiled. She reached out towards the bag. "That's thoughtful. Is that one mine?"

"Yeah!" Steven whisked off the bag. "Ta-da! See? It's a game about fish! You pretend to fish with a magnetic fishing rod! The fish even open and close their mouths! It's super cute."

Lapis took the game and looked at it, giggling. The fish were cute. "Thank you Steven. I'm sure it'll be very..." She trailed off when the box in Peridot's arms moved.

Jasper pulled her knees up and stared at the box warily. " _Why_...is my present moving?"

"Sorry." Peridot was struggling to hold onto the box as it wriggled more, and made sounds. "She's feisty!" She lost her grip and the box tipped forward. A tiny fuzzball of a tabby cat tumbled out, looking to be no more then a couple months old. Her fur was almost the shade of Jasper's skin, with orange stripes.

"We couldn't decide what toy to get you that you wouldn't break," Steven explained. He _really_ hoped she wouldn't break the kitten... "But Ruby saw these kittens and there was one that looked just like you! See? Twins!"

Lapis made a crooning noise, but Jasper just stared down at the fuzzball with disdain. "Uhhh..." She looked back at the hopeful kids. "I...appreciate the...sentiment? But uh, I don't want a little fuzzball just because it happens to be the same color as me." She reached down and carefully grabbed the kitten by the scruff, holding her in front of her face. "I mean, what am I even supposed to do with this little vermin?"

"Mew..." The kitten just barely brushed a soft paw against Jasper's cheek and stared up at her with doleful big blue eyes.

Jasper was completely motionless for a moment. Then she made the strangest sound as her golden eyes grew starry, suddenly completely in love with this little creature. "It...it touched my face."

Steven turned to his sister. "Mission accomplished," he winked, slapping her a high five.

"Lapis, Lapis look! I GOT A KITTEN!"


	19. Sea Pals

_(AN: HEY Y'ALL! So first of all I made a boo-boo. my tumblr is reachingnewground, not plural like I originally posted. So that's why you probably couldn't find me. Also it's a trainwreck of a theme so don't judge. I'll probably be posting snippets of chapters to get people's excitement whirring, and as I am an artist, doodles of my fic as well._

 _So this was originally called "Sea Monkeys", but I changed a bit of the plot AGAIN and Sea Monkeys no longer fit. The next chapter will probably be up extremely soon because it's one I'm really fucking excited for since it starts the launch of the "Sister" arc. This chapter is the last break of cuteness before shit gets dark again, although there is some Mom!Garnet with the Quartz sisters next chapter, buuut I wouldn't really call that cute either. Three of Garnet's kids are about to get in a lot of trouble lol_

 _And if I don't catch you all before New Years, HAPPY NEW YEARS! I hope you're all as eager as I am for this year to freaking **DIE...** )_

* * *

"Why does its mouth keep opening and closing?" Jasper looked down at the weird plastic fish warily. "Does this thing...have sentience somehow?"

Steven giggled. "No, not really. It's mechanical, the batteries inside it makes its mouth move to give it a more realistic look!"

"They do look realistic, I suppose," Lapis mused. As realistic as a toy fish could be. There were so many different types of fish under the water. It kept her amused as Malachite, although Jasper frequently tried to eat them. "It's your turn Jasper."

"...It keeps staring at me."

"Jasper, it doesn't have eyes! They're drawn on!"

Jasper's unnamed tabby kitten watched inquisitively with her tiny butt wiggling, mesmerized by the fish's movements. As soon as Jasper pulled the dangling fish on the rod, she pounced.

"Ack!" Jasper dropped the fish in surprise and the kitten swiped it away from her, rolling onto its back as it bat at the toy. Jasper cast a worried look to Steven. "Is it okay? What's wrong with it? It's not sick is it?!"

Steven laughed. "No, not at all Jasper. She's playing, that's all! Cats-kittens especially are drawn to anything that moves, so she just thinks it's a toy." He opened one of his bags of snacks. "Have you thought of a name for her yet?"

Jasper shook her head. "I was gonna name her Killer but..." She looked over at the fuzzy tot that was throwing around a sock. "Somehow that didn't fit. Stupid seems more accurate..."

"Well it'll come. You get a name and it just clicks normally," Steven commented, reaching into his bag of cheetos. The crinkling noise the bag made instantly had the kitten's ears perk up. Before either could react, an orange blur shot across the bed and skidded into the bag of cheetos, scattering them everywhere.

"Hey, my snacks!"

The kitten gave a muffled mew inside of the bag and pulled up with the crinkly thing attached to her face. She started to run around the bed blindly, frightened by this thing she had idiotically gotten her head stuck in.

"Not the most intelligent thing..." Jasper mused as she lifted the bag off the confused thing's head. She started laughing. "Holy—she's even more orange!" The tabby kitten mewed as she attempted to lick off the cheese dust. "What are those crunchy orange things?"

"Cheeto puffs." Steven pouted as he attempted to retrieve the few surviving puffs left on the bed. He scowled over at the kitten that was attempting to fit an entire puff in her mouth.

"Cheeto Puff..." Jasper looked down at the tabby. She scooped her up and the cheese covered creature mewed happily as she rubbed against the gem's chin. "...Seems fitting."

"Cheeto Murderer is more like it..." Steven mumbled as he ate one of the last puffs. "I guess you found a name then. You can call her Cheeto for short."

"Little Cheeto Puff!" Jasper fell back against the pillow and held the teeny kitten up over her. "I'm going to train her to be the most vicious little thing! She will be a force to be reckoned with!"

"Aw..." Steven tilted his head with a nervous smile. "That's...er...cute? Sorta?"

"Steven, Lapis, Jasper!" The already overcrowded bed gained a new member as Peridot ran and jumped onto the bouncy mattress. "Look at my tutu! Look at my new visor! I'm...lovably adorable!" The gemling stood up on the mattress and gave a little twirl for the trio. "It's even green like me! And look, my visor is STAR SHAPED! Just like a Crystal Gem!" She paused when Jasper's expression fell. " I...mean..."

The giant was quiet for a moment but then she gave a tense and somewhat sad smile. "Yeah...guess that suits you too." It wasn't right for her to get upset. The kid needed them, no matter how bad it hurt. "It's cute, and really big on your face."

"It is adorable!" Peridot perked. "I'm ADORABLE!" She danced around but her foot got caught in the sheets and she tumbled back, landing hard on the fish game. There was a cracking sound.

Lapis's eyes widened. "PERIDOT!" she shouted. "WATCH IT! You almost broke what Steven gave me!"

The gemling's eyes went wide and she scrambled off the fish game and cowered behind her brother. "I...I'm sorry."

Lapis examined the game and saw, to her dismay, there was a large crack up the side of the mechanical board. "You cracked it!" she shouted at the gemling. Tears filled Peridot's eyes but Lapis hardly cared. "He just got this for me!"

Steven folded an arm around his teary eyed sister and stared at Lapis. So did Jasper.

"...Geez," Jasper snickered after a minute, breaking the cold tension. "Not so good with the kids are you Angelfish?" That was something she should have expected. They didn't get along on the ship at all, and more often then not Jasper always had Peridot running back to her crying because 'the Lazuli was being mean to her'.

"She broke my game!" Lapis snapped back.

"Yeah but she didn't mean it!" Steven protested. "Besides it's only cracked. It just needs some glue, and we have that downstairs."

Lapis gave Peridot one last cold look before slipping off the bed and stomping down the stairs. Steven was still a little stunned by what transpired, but he just kept hugging Peridot. "...And I thought you had anger issues," he mused, glancing up at Jasper.

The warrior snorted. "Yeah, but you'd be surprised with how vicious that little thing can get. She can have a patience level even worse then me. Then again..." She tilted her head. "She didn't really get a chance to interact with Peridot on the ship, beyond being interrogated by her. They haven't had a chance to really spend time together."

Steven looked down to the kitchen, where Lapis was trying to fix her game with a tube of glue. He glanced back to his sister. "Maybe that's what they need?"

"Uh..." Jasper didn't look convinced. "I don't know about that Steven."

"Look, we're all together now," Steven told her. "We all have to learn to get along, and more then that, Peridot is like your kid, right? And you and Lapis are sorta together, or at least trying to be together again. So...she's Lapis's kid too?" Jasper still looked unsure. "It'd get Peridot to stop annoying you for a while 'cause she'd be too focused on someone else for a change."

That was enough to convince her. "I could use some nice alone time without the little lima bean trying to climb all over me."

"No!" Peridot ducked into Steven's shirt. "I don't like Lapis! And she REALLY does not like me!"

"Well we're gonna fix that!" Steven pulled Peridot's hands away from her face and dragged her down the stairs to where the gems were in the kitchen. Lapis was still gluing her new toy and cast a frown at Peridot.

"Lapis! Is the toy fixed?"

Lapis rested her chin on her arm and scowled at the sticky glue. "I have to wait for it to dry. It says it takes 24 hours..."

"Uh...that doesn't mean you have to physically watch it for 24 hours," Steven laughed. "Besides I thought of something better you could do in that time." He had to physically yank his sister out from behind him and the poor thing trembled. "Why don't you spend some time with Peridot?"

"Uhhhh..." Lapis screwed up her face and cast another distasteful look at the little kid. "I don't think so Steven. I think I'll just go back up with Jasper and sleep in the bed for the millionth time." She scowled deeply. "Since I can't do much else."

"Actually..." Garnet glanced over at them both. A smile curled up her lips. "You've been cooped up in that room for long enough. Why don't you and Peridot go outside for a bit?"

Lapis gasped and spun around to Garnet. "Y-you mean I can finally go outside?!"

"Yes..." The fusion's smile had a mischievous look to it. "As long as you take Peridot. And don't strain your gem."

Lapis's face fell immediately. Oh that sneaky little... She looked over at the gemling, who was thoroughly sweating and trying to hide again. Of course it would come with strings attached. Of course she wouldn't be allowed to seek out solitude on her own; nope, it just had to come with the stupid kid. ...Still, Lapis was desperate to just go outside. It didn't mean she had to spend any real time with Peridot. The kid would amuse herself somehow anyway.

"Okay fine, I'll take her." Lapis cast Peridot an uncaring look. "Come on, let's go outside."

The poor frozen little kid stood like a statue and needed to be physically pushed to propel her to follow Lapis through the front door. Lapis waited until eyes weren't on her to extend her wings. She soared off the balcony, and left the kid up there.

"Lapis!" Peridot called out, but the blue gem ignored her and settled herself comfortably in the sand. Peridot huffed as she ran down the stairs to follow after the rude gem. "Lapis, why did you just leave me up there?"

Lapis ignored the brat as she sat there in the sand and let the breeze trail through her hair. She was always most at peace near the ocean, even if it did have more unpleasant memories attached lately. She took in a deep breath and smiled serenely—until her view was blocked by an angry green child.

"Hey! You're not supposed to just forget about me you know!" She seemed to have forgotten her nervousness of the gem in her indignity. "If you do I'll just tell Garnet."

Lapis rolled her eyes and started walking. "Look, Garnet told me to take you out here. She didn't say that I had to play with you. Can't you entertain yourself?"

"But Steven wants us to spend time together!" Peridot exclaimed, running out to stop her. "Don't you think maybe we should...try?" Lapis pushed past her, but Peridot would not be silenced. "I know you're mad!" she called out. "I treated you bad on the ship but...but Jasper did too and you forgave her, why not me?"

Lapis stopped in her tracks. "Look, anything about Jasper and I are not your concern, okay? At all! It's adult stuff, not gemling stuff! We have nothing even in common anyway. I'm just out here to get a break from that stuffy room! So can't you just play by yourself?!"

Peridot's mouth hardened as her eyes prickled. "Fine," she mumbled and stalked away.

Lapis heaved a large breath of relief. Finally, some peace. It had been a while since she had a chance to be near the ocean again. The waves always felt like they were calling her, probably a part of her biology. It was where she felt most at home.

The bluenette dipped down to the surface of the cool waters and hovered over the lapping waves. A briny spray touched her lips and she wrinkled up her face. It was one of the only things she hated about the sea was the salt.

A small family of curious dolphins seemed intrigued by the form above them, and one of the pups poked its head above the surface. "Ee—ee!" She clapped her fins together and flicked her tail excitedly.

Lapis giggled. "Well you're a cute little thing..." She reached down tentatively and barely brushed a hand over the porpoise's slick skin. Water from its blowhole squirted up into her face. Lapis laughed. "Mischievous too." She descended slowly into the water. Unlike her kind, Lapis Lazuils and other water based gems didn't sink in water. They were built for swimming.

"Ee-ee!" The pup eagerly swam around her and kept clapping its little fins. It nudged and nuzzled and bumped her from every angle as the parents swam by. Lapis giggled as the baby popped up to kiss her face. "You're so cute! I've never had a little baby take so much interest in me!" Lapis trailed off as her thoughts wandered to the lonely little gemling on the shore.

When she glanced back she saw Peridot laying in the sand half buried in it and turned away from the water. Guilt and pity set in. The water gem sighed. "Hey..." She looked at the dolphin family. "Don't go anywhere, okay? I'll um...I'll be right back."

Lapis waded back to the shoreline where Peridot still hadn't got up from the sand or showed any acknowledgement she heard her. The bluenette stood awkwardly and shifted her foot through the wet dirt. "Um...hey, Peridot?"

The child did not respond.

Lapis ventured a little closer. "Peridot?" She leaned down. "Peridot...?"

"What?" Peridot finally snapped, wiping her face vigorously to poorly disguise the fact she had obviously been crying. "I'm leaving you alone, just like you wanted!"

Lapis winced. "There's um...there's something I want to show you. In the water. Do you...maybe want to swim with me?"

The gemling's face went from angry to confused and annoyed. "I can't _swim_ , Lazuli. I'm not...a Lazuli."

"Well, not without help you can't," Lapis said with a teeny smile. She crouched down next to the child and held her arms out. Peridot just stared at her arms and then back up at her, confused. The kind look never wavered from Lapis's face and hesitantly, slowly, the gemling crawled into her arms.

Lapis started walking back to the shallows with the child. Peridot glanced down at the water and held onto Lapis instinctively tighter as they became submerged.

The water felt different to Peridot then it had before. She felt more weightless and like she was floating on air. It was an interesting feeling, reminding her of when she could hover with her limb enhancers. "It..." She gave a wayward little smile. "It feels like we're flying."

Lapis grinned and dove deeper into the sea, back into the enchanting world Peridot had glanced at before. It was still as colorful and lively as the gemling remembered. She reached out to a bubble and popped it as it floated up.

"Hey!" Lapis called back out into the water. "I'm back, guys! I brought a little kid for your kid to play with!"

Peridot frowned. "Who are you talking to?"

The water was still for a moment, the surface showing a distorted reflection of the sun above them. Lapis could see their silhouettes on the surface, and then they dove down to meet them.

Peridot was understandably terrified to see these large moving shadows getting closer to her and she screamed as she struggled to get out of Lapis's arms. "What is that thing?! It's going to eat me!"

Lapis held onto her. "Peridot, relax! It's not going to eat you!" she laughed. "Watch..."

The child shivered in terror and covered her face as the pup swam up to her. She whimpered, seeing a shadow and braced for the end. ...Then her cheek was gently licked. "Huh?" Peridot lifted her face up and got aggressively cuddled by the small pup. "What...hey!" She giggled as it licked her face and neck. "It's tickling me! Laz—Lapis, lemmie go! It's trying to eat me! It—nooo! Hehehehe!"

Lapis giggled as the gemling kicked and squealed in her arms as the pup took this as play and kept at it. "No, I think I'll let it eat you some more."

Peridot laughed and kicked until she had finally kicked her way out of Lapis's arms. She landed on the sea floor with a small "oomph!" The pup swam down next to her. "I think it likes me." She grinned as it rubbed against her and she pet its small dorsal. "It's rubbing against me like Cheeto! Is it secretly a cat?"

Lapis laughed. She was swimming just above with the parents. "I don't think so... if so, it's a sea kitten." The dolphins crooned and nuzzled her face.

"I'm gonna name this one Tickles." Peridot scratched the 'sea kitten's' tummy. "I've been in the ocean before but it's been a while, and I don't remember these creatures! I don't think I ever saw them before."

"The sea is full of all sorts of different fish and creatures." Lapis grinned. "That's what's so great about it. When Jasper and I were Malachite I really wanted to interact with some of the fish but every time I tried, well, Jasper would try to eat them," she laughed. "Or attack them. But...even if I don't like this planet..." She smiled at the water around them. "I have to admit, the ocean is...beautiful."

Peridot walked over to a familiar bumpy little creature in the sand and bent down next to it. "...Hey, I know you! I saw you!" She scooped it up. "Lapis, Lapis look! It's a starfish!"

"A starfish?" Lapis swam over. "Wow." She grinned as she touched the sticky barbs on the wiggling thing's body. "It's...adorable."

"It's called an echinoderm!" Peridot announced proudly. "Steven's Connie taught me that one! It's a type of fish that isn't a fish, and it's shaped like a star! Just like my visor!"

Tickles and his parents swam over to the gems and the pup nudged the star inquisitively. It pulled its arms in, offended. "I should bring Jasper out here sometime," Lapis mused. Her expression fell slightly. "She's probably afraid of the water now because of Malachite. But I think she'd appreciate these creatures."

"She does seem to have a deeper appreciation for earth creatures now that she has Cheeto," Peridot agreed. "And since this planet is...well...mostly water, she should probably get used to it. She could bring Cheeto swimming too!" Peridot giggled as Tickles nipped at her arm. "And we can introduce her to Tickles!"

The idea of her mate getting chased by a baby dolphin was a bit too hilarious of a chance to pass up. Lapis snickered. "Yeah, they'd get along great."

"How long can we stay out here?" Peridot wondered. "It's so great down here, I don't ever want to go back."

Lapis slid down into the sand and rested her back against some coral. The starfish in her lap wiggled around. "I don't think we were given a time limit." She smiled peacefully. "Garnet just said for us to have fun together."

"Can Tickles and I explore?"

"Sure." Lapis cracked an eye open. "Just stay where I can see you, okay?"

"I will!"

The gemling bounded off with her sea kitten in tow. She hadn't gotten a chance to actually explore the great sea before. When she tried Steven either had stomach issues or...well, she had run into a shattered Jasper. "You probably know the way to all the neat stuff," Peridot told the sea kitten. They were quickly far from Lapis but neither of them realized it. They were just two excited children that wanted to explore.

"Ee-ee!" Tickles chirped as he led them through a forest of seaweed and underneath some rock formations. They were no longer visible through the seaweed.

"This is so beautiful..." Peridot breathed out happily. She sensed a presence behind her and turned. A large imposing shadow waded there merely a few feet away from them. It was huge, baring sharp fangs and eyeing them maliciously.

Tickles absolutely froze in terror but Peridot was completely oblivious. Tickles and his family had given her a dangerous false sense of security. "Greetings, sea friend!" the gemling chirped. "Are you here to play with us too? You're bigger then Tickles' parents..."

A gnash of teeth and Tickles bumped Peridot harshly into the sand, narrowing avoiding them both being snapped in half. "EE-EEEE!" the dolphin shrieked in terror as it bumped Peridot to her feet and they both began to run.

"WH-WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Peridot shrieked as she ran blindly through the sand. "W-was it something I said?!" The shark darted after them like an arrow and snapped its mouth, almost getting the child's rear. "THAT IS NOT A PLACE TO BE BITTEN!" Peridot shrieked. Fearful tears filled her eyes. "LAPIS, HEEEEEELP!"

Lapis jumped to her feet in a moment, and the dolphin parents began screeching in distress. "P-Peridot?" She looked around, but the child was nowhere in sight. "PERIDOT!" Lapis yelled. "Peridot, where are you?!" She could still hear the child screaming and began to breathe heavily. "I'M COMING!"

"Please!" Peridot sobbed to the shark. "I-I just wanted to be friends! DON'T EAT ME! I TASTE GRITTY AND GROSS! I AM LITERALLY A ROCK!" She ducked into the crevice of one of the rock formations and yanked Tickles into it with her. The shark snarled and rammed aggressively into the rock, trying to break through the opening more.

Peridot whimpered and hugged Tickles tightly as the imposing snout rammed through again and again. The opening became larger and the children shrieked as needle sharp fangs came inches away from them. Before it could lunge in, something hard punched the creature in the face.

Lapis stood with her teeth bared. "Time to make FISH STICKS out of you! You stay the hell away from my. KID!" The dolphin parents shrieked in anger and flared up, prepared for a battle. A battle the shark would gladly engage them into.

Peridot watched through the tiny crack of the rocks. She could hardly hear anything over the shrill screaming of dolphins and the roar of water. A fist formed from the currents punched the shark and sent it flying into a garden of coral. The shark rose but immediately realized that this meal was definitely not worth a beating. It hurriedly swam off.

Lapis was still panting in rage and turned sharply towards the crack. The cold look she gave her sent chills through Peridot. "You!" Lapis snapped and yanked her out. Peridot yelped as the bluenette shook her. "Why didn't you listen to me?! I told you to stay where I could see you!" she shouted at her.

Peridot burst into further tears and ducked her face into her hands. Behind them, it seemed Tickles was getting a reprimand just as severe.

"You almost got eaten, you foolish gemling!" Lapis continued to yell. "And who's to say it would have stopped at poofing you? What if it wanted your gem for a dessert, HUH?!"

"I'm sorry!" Peridot wailed and dissolved into harder sobbing. Lapis's face finally softened and she knelt down next to her. She hugged the baby tightly.

"You were almost devoured, stupid. And what would I do then?" She held the child close as she sobbed and Lapis wiped something from her eye herself. "Oh you got hurt!" she gasped. She held Peridot's arm, inspecting a small gash from where the shark's teeth had barely grazed her.

"I wanna go home!" Peridot cried, nuzzling her face into Lapis's dress. Lapis scooped her up into a cradling position and nodded a farewell to Tickles and his family.

Lapis's wings broke through the water and she fluttered down to the sand, still holding the child close."I'm not angry," she told the sniffling tot. "Just promise to listen to me next time we're down there."

Peridot's eyes sparkled. "You mean...there will be a next time?"

"Maybe..." Lapis flushed a little and tweaked the child's nose. "If you're good."

Peridot giggled and then smirked a little at the blue gem. "You called me...your kid."

"Watch it greenie, I can still throw you back to that shark."

"No you can't because you loo-oove me!" Peridot squealed as Lapis pinged her in the forehead playfully.

Grinning mischievously, Lapis turned back to the water. "I warned you..." She pretended to swing her arms back.

"No!" Peridot shrieked and clung tightly to the gem's chest. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

Lapis nearly fell back laughing. "You're so gullible! I would never do that to you. Not as long as you don't spill the fact I've gotten soft to you. I don't want an 'I told you so' from Jasper or Steven."

"...That you love me," Peridot whispered, and dissolved into laughter as Lapis head locked her playfully. "Okay, okay! My lips are sealed." She looked up at Lapis with a nervous smile. "You...you won't tell Jasper or Garnet about me running off, will you?"

Lapis paused and smiled down at the kid. "...My lips are sealed." The two made their way back up into the house. A family of three dolphins waved a fin at them as they slipped through the door.


	20. The Real Quartz

_AN: I NEED TO BE STOPPED! This is going to be done before the next episode even airs. XD Maybe I'm just desperate to get out my Pink Diamond arc before canon fucks it up. (or maybe I'm just looking for anyway to procrastinate out of RL responsibilities... Anyhoo! Here is a chapter I'm most excited for above anything else really. I fell in love with the idea of the Quartz sisters but I knew THAT wouldn't come without some issues._

 _And so here is the launch of one of my favorite arcs. Prepare for some feels folks. Really strong dark feels. I might take a little break from writing because I don't want to burn out. And thanks to all that followed me on tumblr! And a big thank you to a helpful reviewer that's helped me distinguish the differences between "then and "than." I HOPE I checked enough..._

 _Warning: Corporal punishment from an angry Momnet.)_

* * *

Lapis and Jasper were awoken by a sudden sting to their eyes. "Rise an shiiii-iiiine!" Steven chirped as he and Peridot threw open the curtains. Reproachful eyes glared up at them from under the covers. Gems didn't need sleep, but it seemed neither were morning people regardless.

"I don't wanna rise yet," Lapis whined as she burrowed her face under Jasper's hair. "You made the mistakes of introducing us to sleep after all."

"Yeah I guess," Steven giggled. "But another great part about sleep is waking up, all happy and refreshed!" He exchanged grins with his sister. "And I bet you'll really be happy to know that Garnet says you guys are out of gem quarantine! You. Can. Fight!"

Well that definitely got the attention of a certain warrior. Jasper's face lit up. "We can?! We can finally use our gems?" She shook her mate. "Lapis, Lapis, get up! We can finally do something other than brood and sleep and play stupid fish games!"

The bluenette stretched with a smile. "I really did miss being able to use my gem without getting yelled at for it." She hopped up excitedly and pulled Jasper up with her. The kids squealed as Jasper suddenly grabbed them and fell heavily to the floor below. The gems blinked at them.

"Guess you heard the news," Garnet chuckled.

"It's sparring time!" Steven pumped his fists. "I'm gonna take down a Homeworld General today!"

Amethyst frowned slightly. "But...I thought you and I were gonna sparr today, dude."

"Oh..." Steven grinned. "We still can! But it's been a while since Jasper and Lapis have fought so I wanna warm up with them!" He kicked his little feet excitedly in the air. "Amethyst, why don't you come watch us? And then you can see everything I'm gonna do to you!" He pat Jasper's arm. "Onward, great warrior! It's time for the battle of the ages!"

The group ran out excitedly but Garnet and Pearl did not miss the way Amethyst slammed down her cereal bowl and stormed out after them.

* * *

"Alright Quartz!" Jasper punched her fist into her own palm. "Show me what you got!" Man did it feel good to be fighting again!

Steven went into a playful stance. "I don't know if you can handle what I've got!" He pushed his foot into the sand and donned his mother's sword. "I'm a sword fighter."

She hadn't seen that sword in thousands of years. It didn't hold happy memories, but it was nothing she wanted to brood about now. "I can see that. Show me what moves you know then."

Steven sliced into the air near the warrior just as she ducked him and put a roundhouse kick to her face to stun her. Jasper rubbed her jaw with a grin.

"Not bad..." A flash and she summoned her helmet, ramming it into the sword with a vicious clanging sound and smacking it lightly against the child's head to send him tumbling back into the sand. "How good are your reflexes?"

"Awesome like the rest of me," Steven teased. He ducked a fist flying to his face and darted between the warrior's legs, jumping and shoving both feet into her back. Then he whacked her in the back of the head with his sword.

Lapis however was enjoying the freedom of her powers in a different way as she played with Peridot. The child was hopping eagerly through the air and landing on different floating steps on a water staircase. "Steven! Jasper! Look how high I am!"

Lapis giggled as the baby slid down a watery banister and tumbled into her arms. "Careful, you! I won't be able to keep up with you with my powers."

Jasper and Steven were still sparring as an un-enthused Amethyst watched from afar. Admittedly Jasper was impressed. She didn't expect that this pudgy little ball of love and sweetness could be quite a formidable opponent in battle. "Maybe you could actually hold your own in a real fight..." She crouched down and put her head down, her helmet glinting dangerously. "Time to get serious!"

Steven had this mischievous look to his face. "You haven't seen my signature move yet!" He ran and he leaped at her. "Steven bomb away!"

"What's a Steven—oomph!" Jasper tripped over a rock sticking out of the sand and fell back with the child on her. She stared quizzically at him. "So...now what?"

"Now THIS!" He plunged his fingers into her sides and the gem's eyes widened.

"What are you-hey! Stop!" The large warrior let out a small stream of giggles, cursing herself for how...girly they made her sound. "Brat! This is training time, not PLAY time!" She tossed herself over to the side to avoid having to kick or smack him off. Steven just came with her, his attack undeterred.

"This is Steven's ultimate attack! The tickle bomb!" the little boy cackled.

"That's NOT going to hehe-help you in battle!" She rolled out from under the kid and her eyes were full of a playful malice. "Mess with the beast, get the claws. I have a girlfriend remember, and one that's a ball of nerves."

"Hey shut up!" Lapis pouted from the sidelines.

Steven felt sweat drip down the side of his face. "You know, I think it's time for a time out!" He scrambled to get to his feet but Jasper just gave a laugh and grabbed his ankle, dragging her helpless victim back.

"Don't think so," she scoffed. "Tickle me, deal with the torturous consequences."

Lapis and Peridot looked over from a sandcastle they were building, grinning as the air was filled with desperate squeals of protest and then shrieking laughter. "I bet on Jasper," Peridot told the bluenette.

"I do too, but someone needs to vouch for poor Steven," Lapis giggled.

Amethyst observed the scene. The two idiots seemed to have forgotten they were supposed to be fighting as their combat training dissolved into a full-out tickle war. Her fists clenched and hot anger burned in her chest. She and Steven played like that...

Jasper was on her back and under the mercy of the ruthless child. She held up a hand for surrender. "Truce," she gasped through laughter. "And maybe we could get back to actually training?" She held the kid up in the air, scrutinizing him playfully with a glare.

"Hey yeah, that's a good idea." Steven pinwheeled his arms and legs, pretending he was flying. "Amethyst!" he called over. "Come on, let's spar!"

Amethyst blinked in surprise, before a malicious glint came to her eyes as she sneered. "Gladly." She rolled into a ball and spun forward with sonic speed, far faster then she ever had in a normal pretend match. She slammed into Jasper's back like a fireball. The gem was sent flying into the rocks.

Jasper grunted in pain and annoyance. A skeptical look came to her eyes. "Could have at least waited until I got my bearings."

Amethyst smirked. "Well do you have them now?" Her whip lashed out and latched fiercely around the other's wrist, yanking her over her head and slamming her into the ground. The group had gone quiet. Steven gave a nervous smile.

"Okay Amethyst, pull back a little. You're not fighting a monster here."

"You sure about that?" Amethyst snorted. She yanked her whip back and the angered Jasper climbed to her feet.

"What's your problem, pint sized?" Jasper snarled. She summoned her helmet and crouched warningly. "Where'd all this aggression come from?"

"N-no aggression!" Steven protested, giving a panicked smile as he waved his hands between them both. "She gets really into training sometimes! Amethyst, I said pull it back!"

"Who said anything about aggression?" Amethyst asked innocently. "I'm just TRAINING!" She turned into a wheel again but this time Jasper threw out her arms in front of her, catching the spinning gem and throwing her back harshly into the sand.

"What is your DEAL?!" Jasper yelled angrily. Her fists twitched with the urge to punch the brat, but the frightened eyes of Steven and Peridot stopped her.

"My deal is YOU!" Amethyst snapped. "And how you keep butting your stupid face where it doesn't belong—in my family!"

Jasper's eyes widened, stricken. A murderous growl escaped her. "I'm not butting my face in anywhere!" She sneered. "What, can you not handle that maybe Steven wants to train with someone better than you?"

"Guys!" Steven's eyes watered. "No one is better than anyone! I was—I was gonna play with both of you!"

Neither of them were listening to him. Amethyst panted with rage. "What was that, old timer?"

Jasper matched her with a stare just as hateful. "Well I may be old, but at least I was made right. Ever think maybe the reason Steven doesn't want to play with you is because you're a failure of a gem?" She reveled in the pained look on Amethyst's face. Punch her, she'd punch back ten times harder.

"You son of a...!" Amethyst was cut off as Jasper finally threw the punch she had been holding back and the purple gem skidded into the sand. "Fine, you ancient stone. It's on."

And that was it. Lapis grabbed Peridot and ran to get her to safety as the air filled with an explosion of sand and curses. "Steven, come on!"

The horrified child wouldn't leave, desperately trying to shout to be heard over the conflict, but it was useless. "Guys! Guys stop fighting!"

Jasper slammed her helmet into the small purple gem and Amethyst fell back into the sand, limbs shaking as she tried to push herself up. She was already way out of her league, and despite knowing this, she still didn't care. "You aren't better than me..."

Jasper sneered. "Everyone is better than you..." She staggered back from the force of a kick from the enraged gem that already looked close to poofing.

"Yeah? Well at least I'm not some brutish wannabe soldier that NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE!" She shape shifted into the purple puma and attacked the stunned Jasper with all of her strength.

"Look at you!" Jasper snarled meanly. "You need to make yourself bigger just to stand a chance against me! But you'll NEVER BEAT ME!" She grabbed the purple gem and threw her with all of her might into the cliffside. Directly above Steven.

"STEVEN!" the group shouted simultaneously as the rocks fell around the child. Thankfully, they avoided crushing him, but several fragments pelted down onto him.

"Steven!" Lapis cried as she fell to her knees beside the boy. "Oh Steven! Steven, are you okay?"

The child was dazed and confused but he looked up at Lapis. Something wet dripped down his head and he wiped off a bit of blood. "Oh god!" Lapis cried. "You're leaking!"

"No, no, I'm okay!" Steven reassured her. "I just...ow. My head hurts." Lapis scooped him up and rubbed his head. The look she gave the quartzes was nothing short of murderous.

A large hand of water lunged from the earth and grabbed Jasper tightly. Lapis was very careful not to use anything that would resemble chains on her.

Amethyst just cackled. "Oh looks like you're in trouble with your giiiiirlfriiiend!" Amethyst teased. ...She wasn't so lucky in the water department, and shackles formed around her wrists and ankles, yanking her to the ground. "What the? Lapis! I AIN'T INTO BONDAGE!"

"I've had enough!" Lapis yelled. "Have your stupid hissy fights if you want but leave the kids out of it! You both could have killed Steven! You hurt Steven! I'm taking care of him. AND YOU TWO..." She pointed a finger towards them and then gave a malicious smirk. "Well Garnet will deal with you two."

"What?!" they cried out in unified horror. The struggles resumed with a vengeance, real fear in their eyes. "Nooo-ooo, not Garnet!" Amethyst wailed. She tried to punch herself in the gem. "C'mon, c'mon! She can't get me while I'm poofing!"

"She'd wait until you unpoofed to get you," came a very cold response. The helpless gems froze. Garnet stood there with an equally furious Pearl who glared down at the two gems pinned to the ground. Garnet surveyed Amethyst's condition, which was far worse then Jasper's. Jasper barely had a scratch from the ordeal. She'd need to deal with Amethyst differently.

"What were you both thinking?!" Pearl snarled. She took Steven from Lapis's arms and checked him over. He had several small cuts and bruises from the rocks. A sniffling Peridot clutching to her leg was thankfully unscathed. "We sent you out here to spar, not to kill each other!"

"Unfortunately it didn't get that far," Jasper muttered darkly. Pearl stomped a foot in warning.

"I guess the 'no fighting unless it's training' rule went right over your heads, didn't it?" Garnet grit her teeth. "As did the 'don't put the kids in danger'. Amethyst, you wait for me. Jasper, we're going to talk." Lapis's grip fell from Jasper.

"Oh gee willy," Amethyst laughed dryly. "Wherever would I go. It's not like I'm chained up or anything..."

Jasper struggled furiously against Lapis and shot her girlfriend the most betrayed and angered look. "You freaking traitor! Why do you care what I did to the stupid runt anyway?"

"Well I don't really," Lapis responded and the large water hand tugged back so it pulled Jasper back from escaping. "But I care about the effect of your squabble on Steven and Peridot. You injured Steven and both the kids are very upset."

Jasper's head dipped guiltily as she chewed on her bottom lip. "Well I didn't mean to hurt the kid! Either of them." The water hand shoved her forward and Jasper found herself face to face with a very angry Garnet. Even with her visor on, Jasper could feel the icy tension. She tried to at least put some distance between the both of them, but Lapis's water hand blocked her to try and run away.

"I don't care. It never should have reached that point in the first place." Garnet readjusted her visor and her lip turned down in a fierce scowl. "Let's go to my room, Jasper."

"How about we don't..." Jasper's glare hardened but there was definite alarm in her eyes. She knew what that entailed, and it wasn't happening. Jasper glanced back at Lapis for some help but the blue gem had her arms crossed too. As did Pearl. She could probably fight Garnet away on her own, but Garnet wasn't on her own. Lapis was there and so was Pearl. Lapis's strength when it came to her water manipulating outdid hers by a long shot and Lapis wasn't going to be helping her anytime soon.

She was stuck. Jasper grit her teeth in distress and glared back at Lapis, who merely matched her stare. She took a single step forward and Lapis raised her arm to create a wall of water and block her off. Jasper's eyes glowed with murder but Lapis merely just rolled her own.

"Jasper." Garnet's voice was sharp as she started walking and turned back to glare at the other gem, obviously expecting her to follow. "Let's go."

She stormed after Garnet and all the while kept trying to think of a way to get out of this. Retreat into her gem? That was as juvenile as you could get and Garnet would probably just wait for her to come out. She could fight her, but that would really upset Steven and Peridot, and she didn't want to chance hurting anyone else. Besides, even if she could maybe take Garnet...she couldn't take all of the Crystal Gems at once. They'd try to defend her. She really was stuck. Dread and humiliation set in as they made it through her door. Jasper looked a lot less like a warrior and more like a kid in trouble.

"I didn't mean to hurt either of the kids!" Jasper finally protested. "I would never hurt them on purpose! I was just trying to hurt that stupid..." Garnet whirled so sharply around there was almost a breeze. Jasper shut up.

"I don't care what you meant or didn't mean to do," Garnet began with a sharp hiss. "I told you, I told Lapis—I told everyone to leave these kids out of your fights. And you weren't even supposed to be fighting! I WARNED you about your temper! You could hurt them, and you did. You could even kill them, like you and Lapis almost did once before." She stepped closer. "We are the Crystal Gems. We are a team. We have enough enemies without turning on each other!"

Jasper bit down on her tongue. She was no one's team. She was no one's family, except maybe Peridot and Lapis. But even still they preferred it here. She didn't. "I...didn't mean to hurt them," was all she could mumble. She didn't want to voice anything else she was feeling. Surely Garnet knew it all anyway.

Garnet sighed and sat down. When she reached out to grab the warrior's arm Jasper immediately snapped to attention. The larger gem yanked back, more indignant then frightful. She dug her feet into the flooring to try and ground herself. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. Surely Garnet understood that at least.

"No! I'm NOT Peridot! I'm not a gemling! I don't deserve to be treated like...a kid! Nggh! You can't do this!" She yanked back until she had almost lifted Garnet up with her, but the fusion had enough. One swift yank and Jasper tripped and tumbled over Garnet's lap. Garnet shoved a hand down on her back so she couldn't get up. Jasper still fought as much as she could. At the very least, she could make it as difficult as possible. She let out an indignant grunt when the first swat came and then just reserved to take her punishment completely silent.

Jasper lay still, hating this, hating her, and wondering how she, a revered war general on her home planet, was reduced to being seen as nothing more then one of Garnet's gemlings, over her knees like a badly behaved child.

Jasper dug her nails in to bear the swats and in an attempt to try and hurt the fusion back, but it was useless. "So I'm the bad guy, I'm the villain here, and you aren't even going to stop to consider what the brat did to me? No, just the big bad brute?"

"Stop it," Garnet half huffed and half hissed. She tried to approach it as delicately as she could. Jasper couldn't help how she saw herself. "Nobody is a villain here, you both just made bad choices. Very bad choices. I know it's a lot to take, for the both of you. Amethyst isn't used to another Quartz like you. I know she won't admit it, but seeing you is just a reminder of everything she...was supposed to be, and it hurts to see it."

Jasper's eyes narrowed cruelly. "I can't help it if the brat was made all wrong." She yelped when Garnet dealt a harsher smack against her backside and the giant gem let out a growl to disguise the feeling of physical and emotional pain. Figured that just seeing her would make someone angry. "I don't have to stay here you know, if that's the case."

Garnet paused and looked down at Jasper. She was grinding her teeth together inside her mouth and staring at the wall ahead, refusing to make eye contact, refusing to make a sound. Tears were gathering in her eyes. "No...that's not what anyone wants."

 _Really could have fooled me._ Jasper curled more into herself, loathing the tears that were threatening to slip down the longer the spanking went on and the worse her bottom started to sting. She finally started to struggle again to get off Garnet's knee but it was useless. Jasper clenched her eyes shut tightly and tucked her face into her arm.

Garnet uprighted her, which was considerably as difficult as it was to put her across her lap in the first place. Jasper was larger in size after all, and the way the warrior stayed stiff didn't make things any easier. Jasper glared hatefully at Garnet through tearful eyes, but she still refused to let them fall.

Garnet put her arms around the gem and drew her in. Jasper was surprised but stubborn. Her fists clenched to her sides petulantly, refusing to move. She didn't yank away however and just let her chin rest on Garnet's shoulder, but she still kept scowling. Maybe because it was the only thing keeping the emotion back.

"I know it's hard for you," Garnet mumbled as she thread her fingers through Jasper's hair. "All of this. I know you don't think we care but we do. I do. You're family, Jasper. I just want to help you...but I can't do that if you don't let me in."

The gentle words were getting to her. Jasper began to shake and the tears in her eyes started to spill as she tried to keep her face from screwing up. "...Lies," she finally croaked.

"No." Garnet held her closer. "I'm sorry, for the pain you went through. I can't fix that, and I can't fix whatever Yellow Diamond probably did to you as well, but I'm not Yellow Diamond. We're not Homeworld. We care about you."

Something that sounded close to a sob threatened to choke out but Jasper wasn't going to break down in front of Garnet. She shook her head adamantly. She didn't mean anything to the gems. They tolerated her for Steven and Peridot's sake, that was all. She was just the brute they were forced to keep around. "Nobody cares, and I'm not listening to lies coming from anyone, especially you!" She shoved back from her finally.

Garnet looked at her sadly. "I'm not lying. I know we got off on the wrong foot, I know we used to be enemies but I don't want to be enemies anymore. You're important to my kids, so you're important to me too." It was useless. Amethyst's words had dug in too deep and planted a seed of denial.

"I'M NOT IMPORTANT TO ANY OF YOU!" Jasper roared. "Especially to the little purple shard that just wants me GONE! You said it yourself, it's hurting people just to see me."

Garnet shook her head. "Amethyst needs time to come around, Jasper. And you need to be patient. There's a lot of hurt feelings, but you and Amethyst have more similarities then you think. She acts out when she's hurt. So do you." Garnet reached a hand out to Jasper but the warrior recoiled as if it was on fire.

"Are we done now?" she half sniffled, eyes burning with acid rage. "Can I go or is there a round two?"

"You can go," Garnet sighed. "But Jasp..."

Jasper stormed away, through the large doors. She wouldn't stay to hear anymore lies the cruel fusion would try to conjure, to manipulate her. As it was, the gentle words had already gotten to her, racking at her brain as badly as Amethyst's insults. She could feel a shuddering breath in her chest trying to escape. She swung the door open so fiercely it broke off the hinges.

Lapis was with Steven but she looked up when she saw her mate storming out. Her face softened at the visible tears in her eyes. "Kitten..."

"Fuck off," Jasper spat out as she stormed past her. She wasn't interested in talking to the traitor that had handed her over to Garnet in the first place. She ignored the hurt in Lapis's eyes and stormed away from the temple until she was out of sight.

Emotions she wasn't used to swirled in her head, a hope she desperately tried to quell that she might actually _mean_ something to others for the first time since she lost her Diamond. It was lies, it had to be lies. Amethyst didn't even want to look at her, Garnet just wanted to hurt her clearly. And it wasn't the spanking that hurt the worst, but the crippling confusion at the mere thought that she would be punished out of anything but malice.

Love? No...it wasn't possible.

She meant nothing to anyone here but she still could never go home...

"DAMNIT!" she roared through a sob, and splintered a boulder to dust.

* * *

Garnet sighed as she stepped out onto the beach. It was time to deal with her second badly behaved 'gemling.' She had a different way to go about this one.

Amethyst was still struggling in Lapis's chains, grunting and growling and trying to yank back against the watery prison. When the shadow of Garnet fell over her the purple gem shrunk further down into the sand. "Am I...gonna see the light of day again?" she asked meekly.

"Maybe." Garnet looked over at Lapis. "Release her."

Amethyst rubbed her wrists as she was finally able to stand but had enough sense not to run. Even if that was the first thing her mind told her to do. "Where's Jasshole?" she snickered. "In pain I gue—ow!" Her hands leaped back in response to a swat and she glared at Garnet.

"Come with me." Garnet started walking and the brooding little gem trudged deliberately slowly after her. She was confused however when Garnet didn't turn to her dreaded room, but instead...the warp pad?

"Where are you taking us?" Amethyst looked around warily. "You know, I'd rather not be some public spectacle? Can't we just go to your room and get this crap over with?"

They disappeared in a flash and appeared in the place Amethyst feared Garnet was taking them: The Kindergarten. The small gem's face hardened and she looked up at her leader. "What are we doing here? I don't want to be here." Any other day she loved to see her long forgotten rock family, but now it just brought a fierce ache of pain.

Garnet didn't answer and she stepped forward to a small hole in the ground. She smiled. "Remember when we found you here? You were playing with some rocks named Tom and Jenny."

Amethyst crossed her arms and looked away. "It was Tom and Janice. Get it right. And what's your point?"

"We thought you were incredibly peculiar, but adorable." Garnet knelt down next to the hole. "A vicious little thing that bit Pearl's ankle."

"Well she shoulda kept her foot out of my hole!"

"Rose loved you immediately. Well, we all did. I think the fact you were so small really endeared you to her. You know how she loved cute things and you were about as cute as could be. You were something none of us had seen. Unique. Truly special."

"Yeah I'm unique because I'm wrong!" Amethyst snapped. "I'm nothing like I'm supposed to be! She...she's what I'm supposed to be!"

Garnet looked down at her. "Says who? The Diamonds? Homeworld? We aren't Homeworld, Amethyst. We're the Crystal Gems. And you're perfect to us." She knelt down next to her. "You were perfect to Rose. Why is it so hard for you to believe that now?"

"'Cause ROSE ISN'T HERE!" Amethyst yelled. "You're not Rose and...you all see Jasper! You see what I'm supposed to be! You see everything I'm NOT! That stupid muscled...jerk is just a better version of me!" She wiped furiously at the tears that had started to gather. "Okay? It was easier before, you know! When I didn't have a freaking WALKING REMINDER! One that's just...trying to take away everyone I love!"

Garnet frowned. "What are you..."

"Steven!" Amethyst sniffled. "You should have seen them earlier! They were sparring and playing 'n tickle fighting and all the stuff WE DO! And even me and Peridot were starting to get close but Jasper is all she ever wants!"

"Amethyst, Peridot is a baby," Garnet reminded her gently. "And Jasper is pretty much a mother to her. It's only natural for her to be bonded with her. She was with Jasper before any of us. Just because Steven is becoming closer with Jasper it doesn't mean he's abandoning you."

"He is!" she sniffled. She hated herself for the tears that were starting to go down her face. "Why didn't he ask me to teach him cool moves this morning? Why did he ask her?"

"Amethyst..." Garnet knelt down next to her and put a hand gently on her arm. "It was her first time fighting in a while. Steven just wanted to make her feel comfortable." She smiled. "You know that boy. He wants to be friends with everyone. He wants to help her. She's in a lot of pain too..."

"Oh BOOHOO!" Amethyst laughed bitterly. "What the hell does she have to be upset about? She's exactly how she's supposed to be made, everyone loves her now, she's the perfect quartz! She's not a reject of her own species! She's fine."

Garnet shook her head but she didn't expect Amethyst to understand. She wasn't just in the room with Jasper, and she didn't see the way the gem nearly broke just realizing that someone else could actually care about her. "She's on a foreign planet and she can never go home."

Amethyst snorted. "That's the majority of us, Garnet."

"You two need each other."

"Need each other?" At that Amethyst laughed. "What the hell does she need me for? She's got Peridot, her girlfriend, and even Steven who is perfectly content with replacing me with Amethyst 2.0, the better version!"

"You're sisters, Amethyst," Garnet told her with a little smile. "Born of the same planet, and born of the same gemstone. You're both quartzes, you're both hurting, you both feel lost." She tried to pull the smaller into a hug but Amethyst pushed her away.

"This sister prefers to stay estranged," Amethyst sneered. "Did you spout all this nonsense to her too? Or was she lucky enough to only get off with a spanking?"

Garnet sighed sadly as she looked down at the purple gem, as stubbornly rigid as she was before. Homeworld wasn't built in one day though, and this would perhaps take more time then that even had...

"I want you two to apologize to each other."

"I ain't apologizing to no one!" Amethyst snapped. "You can yell at me, you can lecture me, you can beat me but you can't make me sorry! And I'm going home..." The purple gem started to furiously stalk off. It would do no good to force Amethyst back, or to force them both to say an apology neither would really mean. So regretfully, Garnet just followed after her.

"Amethyst!" Pearl forced a smile when both gems appeared back into the house. She didn't bother to stay angry at them; there was no need to prolong the agony...so to speak. "You're both back! I'm making the kids food, if you would be so kind as to eat the cardboard..." Pearl trailed off as Amethyst merely stormed past her to the temple doors. They slammed shut.

"...Box..." The lithe gem sighed and turned a hopeless gaze to Garnet. "It didn't go well, did it? Steven at least managed to convince Jasper to come back inside but she won't talk to anyone and just went back upstairs."

Garnet shook her head. The fact that Jasper willingly went back to a bed she griped about being stuck in...was a very bad sign. "I don't know what to do, Pearl. I don't know how to make them see what they're doing to each other...and themselves."

Pearl gave a sad shrug. "You can't...make them do anything, that's the sad part. I was hoping that Jasper staying here would be good for Amethyst but...that just wasn't the case." A pained look came over her face. "It feels like there's always going to be fighting in this house. We can't even escape it outside of battle..."

Garnet draped an arm around Pearl and glanced up the stairs. She saw the children gently jostling Jasper but they received no response. They turned sad desperate eyes back to her. A lump rose in Garnet's throat. "...I just want to keep this family together."

Pearl wrapped her arms around Garnet tightly as she felt tears drip down into her hair, but there was nothing else to say.


	21. Chapter 21

_(Alright. First off, hi everyone. Let's start this on a good note, this will be kinda long. Sorry it's been so long. My family and I were in the process of moving and we still are. And that's a really freaking rough and busy ride first of all. Good news though is I've been without the internet for like three weeks so...I've done nothing but write. You're likely to see three to four chapters in this week alone. (Although I am STILL without internet.)_

 _Second of all, honestly it was consistent whining for updates that killed my motivation to want to write. Like okay, I don't mind a review that ends with something like "hope you update soon!" but when I get just a review that just says "update" or something to that effect, or a private message, no less, some that are passive aggressive...like no, it doesn't make me want to write. I was considering cancelling this story out of anger but it wouldn't be fair to my readers that hadn't harassed me and acted like decent people. Plus, I adore this story and I have a clear set goal in mind for it. A handful of jerks are nothing compared to the sweet reviews I get (yes I read them ALL). I know I suck responding sometimes (it's usually because I just can't articulate how happy every one of them make me), but I love each and every one of them._

 _So for the final and most exciting note...this story will have a sequel. "A Bridge Of Two Worlds", and it is definitely nothing like this fic. I mean yes it's a continuation on how this one will end but it's an entirely different and I am honestly so excited for it. (I just hope canon doesn't deviate it too much...) Where this fic focuses on "healing", its sequel focuses on how to learn to move on from tragedy and resume a life you had before something awful destroyed it. It focuses heavily on building new relationships rather than the ones that I've covered here. I don't want to ramble about it too much, just...be excited. Trust me._

 _I've cut off a few chapters from my list and I might cut more. They're cute filler, sure, but I want to stay plot heavy. I want to cover all the arcs to come, especially since the next arc, which is the final arc, is about ten chapters. I might cut more if two chapters can be condensed into one, we'll see._

 _Sorry this is long, BUT LASTLY yes I have a su multimuse rp blog (capping at 420 followers jesus), so if any of y'all want to write with me, catch my tumblr ificould-begin-to-be_

 _On with the show~)_

* * *

The next few days were full of tension and silence. Even the children had a hard time playing and enjoying themselves when two of their guardians were so miserable. It was something Steven hadn't seen since...Sardonyx.

The group of gems sat in the living room as they tried to occupy themselves with building a card house, but their eyes kept drifting to the upstairs where they knew the brooding warrior lay, and the temple door where Amethyst was somewhere sulking.

"At least Jasper forgave me for passing her over to Garnet," Lapis mumbled as she stacked a card onto their growing castle. "But she still won't talk to me. Or...anyone."

"Not even me!" Peridot scowled. "Who doesn't want to talk to adorable me?"

"I think the amazing thing is how...quiet she's being," Pearl mused as she scrutinized the castle for a place to slip in her card. "Can't even tell there's anyone up there. I mean with how she acts when she's angry, I was certain the house would be in splinters by now."

Garnet shook her head. "She's completely shut down. Honestly, that's worse." She cast a worried look up to the bedroom. "I think...I would rather her be breaking things." This felt ominous."At least it'd be similar to her normal behavior."

"And Amethyst isn't doing any better," Pearl sighed. "She won't let me in her room and even when she does, she doesn't seem too interested in talking to me. She just...makes sculptures out of her garbage heaps and then destroys them. I don't even think...I've seen her eat."

"She's not even eating?!" Steven shrieked. "Amethyst isn't eating, Jasper isn't breaking things—it's like we entered another universe here! We can't let this go on!" Steven jumped to his feet and started up the stairs. Lapis sighed after him.

"Steven, it's no use!"

"Jasper!" He stood at the stairway and eyed the large gem cautiously. She had her back to him and showed no reaction to him calling her name. Cheeto Puff was perched on her owner's side and she looked over at Steven, her flat ears telling him she was scared as well.

"Hey Jasper!" The boy hurried over to her but she still didn't turn. "Guess what? We're making a card house downstairs and it's taken us a few hours and it'll DEFINITELY annoy Pearl if you destroy it...? Hint hint?"

The warrior kept her back turned, expression impassively set on the window. Steven could see her blank and tired looking reflection in the window. Cheeto mewed in distress but Steven wouldn't be dismissed so easily.

"Hey c'mon you wimpy warrior!" he teased as he jumped on her and pretended to headlock her. Surely the insult would jab at her? "We never got to finish our match! Rr! Let's finish it!" He squeezed lightly around her neck but Jasper knocked him off.

Steven huffed and pondered for a moment. Then he smirked as he jumped at her, scribbling his fingers over her sides. "Hey Jasper, tickle fight!" There was no reaction, not even a smile. This time when she knocked him off it was more aggressive and he tumbled off the bed.

Steven sighed as he picked himself up off the floor. "Okay...I...I'll be with the others then. They're really worried too, you know." He cast one last glance back at her. "...People care about you," he told her, and started down the stairs. He didn't see the way she sagged even more into the bed.

"No luck I imagine?" Pearl sighed. Steven shook his head despondently.

"I'm gonna try Amethyst."

"Oh Steven, I already tried that," Pearl sighed.

Peridot hopped up to join her brother. "Maybe approaching her together will help persuade her!"

Steven and Peridot made their way to the temple door and Steven knocked nervously. "Amethyst, hello?" No response. He knocked harder. "Amethyst, it's Steven. Your favorite person ever?" he tried. The door didn't budge. "Amethyst? Ameeethyyyst..." He crossed his arms. "You know I'm just gonna keep bugging you."

Finally, the door slid open. Steven slapped his sister a high five and hurried inside. It didn't seem...that different from usual. Garbage was everywhere, as it always had been. Amethyst was in the middle of it all, brooding as she tossed paper balls into a small rusty garbage can. Ironic she _had_ a garbage can...

"What do you want Steven?" the gem asked tersely as she narrowed her eyes on the kids.

"We just..." Steven glanced back at Peridot who somewhat timidly hid behind him. "We were worried about you is all."

"Well don't be," Amethyst brooded back as she stacked several cans on top of each other.

"Okay, that's...reassuring..." Steven cast a worried glance to his sibling, and the two of them jumped when Amethyst slammed her fist into the pile of garbage. As Steven glanced closer he realized the garbage undeniably resembled a sculpture of Jasper she had made. That Amethyst just tore right into.

"Maybe we should go," Peridot whispered nervously from where she perched behind her brother.

Steven shook his head. "I'm not leaving. We've got to put an end to this." He seemed wary to approach the purple gem however. She was like a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off, and he didn't want her to go off on him. The way she was just attacking the Jasper-sculpture freaked him right out.

"Amethyst, what's gotten into you?" Steven exclaimed. "This is insane! Why are you so angry with Jasper? What did she ever do to you?"

Amethyst's fist halted in mid punch as she stared incredulously at Steven. "What did she ever do to me?"

"Well—okay, that might have been a stupid question," Steven began awkwardly. "She did try to kill us all, but...that goes for Peridot and Lapis too actually. Since then though, what has she done? Why did you just attack her? We were all having so much fun and then you-"

"You mean you and Jasper were having so much fun," she cut him off bitterly.

"Is that what this is about? Because I was having fun with Jasper?" Steven shook his head. "Amethyst I invited you to play with us! I wanted you to train with us and have fun and you just started a fight! I don't get it. I play with Peridot and you don't freak out. And Lapis."

Amethyst had her back turned to two of them now. It hunched forward as she glared at the wall. "She said awful things about me."

"Yes but you started it!" Steven snapped back. He was getting annoyed as well by her inability to own up to what she had done. "I know she did bad—but you did worse! You started it by attacking her and saying awful things to her! You both were bad and you BOTH deserve whatever Garnet gave you!"

The chillingly murderous glare Amethyst cast over her shoulder instantly made Steven realize he had said the wrong thing.

Garnet and Pearl were more than startled to see Amethyst's door slip open long enough for a purple arm to sling out and throw the children. They both gasped and ran to make sure the kids were alright.

"Amethyst!" Garnet yelled as she slammed her fist against the large door. "You open the door right now!"

Steven put a hand on her arm. "Garnet, forget about it. We're fine, and you're just gonna make her angrier." He helped his sister up and brushed the dirt off of them both. "We didn't make any progress in there. I think...we just made things worse," Steven sighed.

"Well..." Pearl glanced to the front door, where they could make out two retreating figures. "Lapis has at least managed to get Jasper to leave the bed. Maybe she can help things with her."

* * *

Lapis was disconcerted by Jasper's behavior as they made their way outside. She wasn't griping about the harsh sun in her eyes or the squawking seagulls. She wasn't even trying to eat the butterflies that were stupid enough to fly up to her. It was as if someone had completely beaten the warrior's spirit right out of her. She supposed that was in a sense true.

"Come on Kitten, you're worrying me," Lapis sighed as she looked back to her utterly listless mate. "This isn't you. Why aren't you growling or glaring or punching things? Where's my adorable pissy kitten gone?"

Jasper wordlessly gestured to the literal kitten digging in the sand.

"Not that one!" Lapis huffed. "I mean...you! This isn't you at all. You're not talking or swearing or being a jerk and flicking sand at me." Jasper merely turned away. "Did what Amethyst say really get to you that bad...?"

Jasper's jaw set tightly at the memories. It wasn't like she wasn't accustomed to cruel insults, and they did ring some truth to them. She was just a soldier that would never belong here. She refused to believe she meant anything to The Crystal Gems, and she found herself fighting tears at remembering Garnet holding her and speaking to her as if she were family. Damn, why couldn't she had just beaten her and be done with it? Pain and punishment would have been so much easier to swallow.

Lapis sighed when she saw Jasper's shoulders quiver slightly. She lay down in the sand and gently tugged on her girlfriend's arm, coaxing her down with her. "Alright, how about I just hold you for a while? Hm?" She nuzzled Jasper's gem nose softly, trying to encourage a smile.

Jasper clung tightly to Lapis, but her glassy eyes still reflected nothing but pure emptiness.

Lapis's eyes slid shut mournfully as she allowed a single tear to slip down. "Oh Kitten..."

The duo was being watched by two equally frightened figures behind a bush. To see their friend like this was such an unwelcome, alien sight.

"Sh...she didn't even clip a crab to Lapis's butt," Peridot whispered in soft horror. "Oh this is so bad, Steven! We gotta do something! Maybe appeal to her nature...we could initiate combat!"

Steven shook his head. "No I tried to start a sparring match and a tickle match AND tried to cater to her love of destruction by mentioning our card house! And it was just...useless. She just isn't the same Jasper."

Peridot sighed. "Well a chastising from Garnet is pretty scary and unpleasant and all in all super embarrassing, but...this is a bit of an overreaction, even for a gem as dramatic as Jasper."

Steven shook his head. "I doubt it's because she got in trouble, or even all of it having to do with what Amethyst said. There...there's something deeper going on. We have to think of some way to get these two to make up and be friends!"

"How, Steven?" Peridot asked wearily. "It's Lapis and Jasper all over again—without the romantic partner aspect. They're both hurt and both are too stubborn to make the first move. And both of them have...really violent tempers. If we try to do the song thing we did last time I think the outcome will be the same. Destruction, and maybe someone will shatter for real this time."

She had a point there. They'd kill each other. "Neither will talk to the other first, you're right. If only we could make them talk to each other..." A light bulb lit. "Wait, that's it! That's what we have to do!" He gripped his sister excitedly. "I know what to do now! Wait here, okay?" He had run from the bush before Peridot could manage a response.

Safely away from the group behind a tree, Steven turned back to make sure no one was watching. Peridot was looking around for him and Lapis and Jasper were curled up in the sand. No one had any idea, this was perfect. Deep down Steven felt a seed of turmoil. Was this...crossing some moral line? No, of course not! He was helping them make up. It was just a little push that they needed.

"Kay...how did I do this last time?" He shut his eyes and willed his spirit to transfer...

* * *

Golden eyes opened, staring skyward. Steven turned over as he felt a wisp of blue hair tickle his face. Lapis was sleeping peacefully. Maybe he could just slip out without her noticing...

"Jasper?"

Crap. Steven's new warrior body tensed rigid as he reluctantly turned back to Lapis and forced on a tense grin. "Hey, uh..." What were the names Jasper used for Lapis? All kinds of sea themed ones. "...Fish."

Lapis raised an eyebrow and she gave a snicker. "Wow, creative. You feeling better, Kitten? You look a little less mopey."

"Yeah! I'm...I'm cool." Steven winced. "Er, I mean...I'm hungry, actually." Okay well, gems didn't get hungry but Jasper did love eating. "I think it'd cheer me up more to get a snack."

Lapis felt something was off, but she didn't think much of it. Jasper wasn't herself right now anyway. Oh if only she knew the _extent..._ "Alright...hurry back." She leaned in and Steven squeaked as he felt her hand slide down-no-no!

"OKAY!" He shoved Lapis away and started bolting up the beach. "I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" He nearly tripped onto poor Peridot.

"Ack! Jeez Jasper, I know you're sad but that's no reason to almost run me over! What's got you in such a panic?"

"Peridot, it's me!" Steven waved his large hands to her, voice hushed.

"...Yeah, I know," Peridot drawled. "But that doesn't-"

"No, it's Steven!"

"WHAT?!"

"SHH!" Steven shoved Peridot down into the bush with him. It was hard hiding his—her-enormous body. He glanced over the brush but Lapis was turned the other way looking toward the ocean. "I said it's Steven."

"Are you crazy?!" Peridot whisper-screamed. "This was your perfect idea? How did—how'd you even manage this? Is taking over someone's body another one of Rose Quartz's amazing abilities?"

"Uh...yeah I guess." Steven shrugged. "Mine anyway. It's perfect since we know neither would ever make up on their own!"

"Are you insane?" Peridot hissed. "It isn't perfect! It—it-you're going to get in SO much trouble, Steven! You have to turn back now!"

"I will after I talk to Amethyst!" Steven growled. "I can't just leave before I've completed my main objective and I can't go back to Lapis yet! I got my butt squeezed, who KNOWS what she'll try to squeeze next!"

Peridot shook her head. "I have a bad feeling, Steven."

"Well, tell it to go away because this is gonna work." Steven winked. "They'll make up and then this whole mess will be over and we'll all be a family again! I have to hurry though, Lapis thinks I'm just getting a snack." A beefy hand pat the small gem's head reassuringly.

"Steven!" Peridot cried after him. "This is a bad idea!"

Ignoring the well warranted warnings of his sibling, Steven walked through the temple door. He slammed his head off the door frame, forgetting he wasn't a few feet tall anymore. To his luck at least Amethyst had left her room and was busy with a bag of chips. She wasn't even eating them, she was just crushing them and throwing them to the floor.

"Um, hey Amethyst," Steven began awkwardly.

Amethyst didn't look up. "What the hell do you want?"

"I just...wanted to talk to you. I wanted to apologize."

The glare she gave him was less murderous and more skeptical. "What?"

"Well, I..." Steven shifted to sit next to her. His eyes kept darting away, too afraid to meet her own. "I wanted to apologize for...all the awful things I said to you. They were out of line and I shouldn't have said them even though I was so angry. I just...well!" He pat his chest. "You know how it is, temper got the better of me."

"Uh...yeah." Amethyst was giving him the side eye. "Right. ...I guess we both kind of freaked out. Although...maybe I was a bit worse. I guess I shouldn't have antagonized you in the first place." She crossed her arms guiltily. "...Sorry."

It was working! Things were going great! Steven hugged her excitedly without thinking and Amethyst yelped as she was suddenly encompassed in Jasper's large arms.

"Bleugh!" She shoved away from her. "Gross, I'm gonna smell like your girlfriend now. What's gotten into you? You're acting weirder than usual!"

Steven tensed as the beads of sweat began to pour down. "Huh? No! I'm not! I'm fine! I'm acting Jasper!" He winced at his wording.

"Acting...yeah, whatever." Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Just go away? I'm pretending to eat chips here."

"Alrighty!"

"...Alrighty?"

Steven froze. "Um, I mean..." Panic began to sit in. His heart pounded hard. He trembled. Amethyst had slowly moved from her spot on the couch and was just glaring at him.

"You're acting reeeally weird, Jasper. Like...really weird."

No, no! He was losing her! Crap, crap! Oh what Jasper say or do? She liked to destroy things. She swore a lot, didn't she?

"No, I'm not! Hey..." She liked breaking boulders with her fists. "Why don't we go destroy some rocks?"

Amethyst stared. "Huh? Rocks?"

"Yeah, we can beat some boulders! Beat em into f...fu..." He started to sweat more, frozen to the spot as he fought to struggle out the heinous word. "Beat 'em into f...fucNOICAN'TPEARLSAIDGOODBOYSDON'TSWEAR!" he abruptly wailed, and slapped a hand to his mouth in horror. "I-I mean..." Cover blown.

Amethyst's mouth hang agape. "St-Steven?!"

Oh no, no no! Steven held up his hands to try and show he meant no harm, but the gem backed up as if he was a poisonous snake."Yeah, it's me—but I didn't mean to hurt anything! I was just trying to help...you two get along."

"That...that's not how you help!" Amethyst cried. Her fists clenched in fury. "You're making it worse! You don't _do_ that! You...I'm telling Garnet!" She whirled away from him.

The pronouncement of certain _doom._ "NO!" Steven cried. In Jasper's body he lunged towards the gem and caught her foot as he desperately wailed. "No, please don't tell Garnet! Amethyst ple-e-e-ease!"

"Get...OFF me!" she snarled and slammed a foot into his face, leaving a dark footprint on the warrior's cheek. Steven cried out and pinwheeled backwards, pulling a coward's move and slipping from Jasper's body.

Regaining his own consciousness the boy bolted to his feet. "Waaa-aah! This is so bad!" He had to get out of there! If Garnet found out; stars if Jasper found out... He bolted to his feet and started running blindly from the temple, bowling poor Lapis over and sending both on their back.

"Steven?!" Lapis held the child, who instantly burst into tears. "Oh Steven, what's wrong?"

"I'MINSOMUCHTROUBLE!" He tried to claw away from her but Lapis held firm. She held a squirming and fussy Peridot enough to easily be able to handle a distraught Steven.

"Calm down, calm down. Talk to me." Lapis sat down with him as the boy cried. "Why are you in so much trouble?"

Watery eyes looked hopefully up at his water guardian. Maybe she would realize he had no bad intentions and she'd see from his side of things? "I...I wanted Amethyst and Jasper to make up so I...I gave them a boost." He could tell she was waiting for more. "And-and I took over Jasper's body."

Well there went Lapis's concern. She stood up abruptly, causing Steven to fall hard on his haunches. "What? You were...oh god...how long were you Jasper?!" Lapis shrieked, hands to her hair.

"O-only for a few moments!" Steven assured her. "It was after you guys did...couple stuff."

The bluenette relaxed momentarily, but her features hardened again. "You still possessed my Jasper. Why?!"

"I wanted to make her apologize!" Steven sobbed. He hoped his tears would move Lapis, but oh no, there was no sympathy in that woman's eyes. "I was just..."

"You POSSESSED Jasper to use her to apologize?!" Lapis yelled. "You intentionally manipulated my girlfriend?!" She held up a hand before the boy could protest. "Don't even try to tell me you didn't mean harm, what did you think this would do?! You controlled her to do your bidding! Steven, that's something Homeworld would do!"

Steven's face crippled in grief, more than distraught at the realization. He had done something bad. Something that Homeworld would have done. The tears returned with a vengeance. "Lapis, please don't turn me in!"

"Do you honestly think that Jasper doesn't deserve to know what you did to her?!" Lapis turned away, a hand to her forehead as she pierced him with a disappointed whisper. "I can't believe you would do such a thing, knowing everything she's been through..."

"Don't tell Jasper!" Steven begged. "Lapis, she'll kill me!"

"TOO BAD!" Lapis's grip was like a vice as she began to quickly march them back to the house, while poor Steven begged and tried to dig his feet into the dirt. Through his tears he saw his sister shaking her head sympathetically at him and mouthing 'I told you.'

"Lapis, please! Jasper will KILL me! I-I don't know if I can poof! I don't think I can poof!"

"Maybe you can possess Jasper and save yourself," Lapis drawled sarcastically. Finally moved by the pitiful sobbing she turned to him with a sigh. "I don't really mean that Steven, I'm just...I'm just SO angry with you! And so upset you would make me so angry to say such things! Now come on!"

The door opened and Steven was met with a very, very angry guardian. Golden eyes pierced him almost murderously. ...At least that was a little more like herself. Silver linings. "GARNET!" Jasper shouted as she stomped off.

"No-nonononono!" Steven scrambled back but Lapis caught him. The child was left under the angry stares of his three guardians—and soon, two more that bore through him with a look of disappointment. "Garnet, I'm sorry-y-y-y!" Steven wailed out.

Pearl shook her head. "Oh Steven, how could you..."

"Steven Quartz Universe..." Garnet began and poor Steven shrunk down into the floor at the ominous address of his full name. "Did you willingly possess Jasper's body and use her to lie to Amethyst?"

Steven whimpered as large tears trickled down his cheeks as angry eyes glared at him from all around. He was cornered by all of his guardians. "I just wanted to help," he finally sobbed out, knowing there was no excuse for what he had done.

"That's not how you help Steven," Garnet told him. She picked up the trembling child—and then suddenly she pushed him to Jasper. Both looked startled. "He possessed you," Garnet pointed out. "I feel it's only fair that you handle him. With mortal limitations remember," she warned. She trusted Jasper with Steven, and as the warrior was now one of his fellow guardians, felt this was for the best.

"What?!" Jasper's stupefied gaze stared down at the terrified child she held at arms length, seemingly just as surprised as him. "I...well..." The anger in her eyes was now replaced with nervousness at the task she was given.

"You're one of Steven's guardians now," Garnet reminded her, moving to clean the mess Steven and Amethyst had made in their scuffle.

"I am?" She stared again at the child that looked like he was about to faint with fear and she was almost nervous to hold him. She supposed she had grown to unconsciously care as deep for the kid as she did Peridot and had looked after him. The idea of being seen as a guardian was quite foreign but a role she had seemed to haphazardly stumbled into.

"I trust you," Garnet said simply. The response felt like a boulder of emotion had slammed into the giant warrior.

"B-but I don't trust me!" Jasper croaked out. She had utterly no idea what she was doing.

Garnet placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "You'll be fine. Being a guardian isn't all cuddles and kisses and playtime," she reminded her. "Sometimes it's laying down the line when they do something very, very wrong." She frowned down at Steven and he shrunk more in Jasper's arms.

"Yeah, I know. I have a kid, sorta." Peridot felt like her kid, but...She hadn't really done the unpleasant discipline part yet.

"You can use my room," Garnet told her, opening the door. Steven cast a pleading glance back to the fusion but she turned away and the door snapped shut. The boy was absolutely white with terror. "...I don't wanna die," he whimpered.

Jasper rolled her eyes but she supposed she couldn't blame the boy for thinking that was going to happen. He didn't have fond memories of her being angry with him. Maybe this would be a good way to reassure him that...he didn't have to be afraid of her. Well, so to speak... "You aren't going to die, brat," she huffed. "Take it like a warrior."

Steven covered his face as he sniffled into his hands. "I...I guess anything so you won't hate me."

"I don't hate you," she forced out. Her eyes narrowed further. "But I'm not happy with you. At all." She sat down and continued to just stare at him, unsure eyes meeting two terrified, tear filled ones. "Uh..."

She had no idea what to do. She was a war general and her idea of punishments on miscreants involved a great deal of physical pain, not the type she would inflict upon a child. Even with Peridot she didn't have a chance to...parent? Whenever Peridot didn't do what she was supposed to, Jasper screaming at her made her burst into tears and with the child's disabilities, she didn't want to go further than that.

She supposed she was somewhat trained to deal with someone as vulnerable as Steven. She had sparred and played with him and naturally knew she had to be more gentle than she would with any other gem, and she always managed not to hurt him, even when she bumped him with her helmet during sparring.

"Let's...uh...just get this over with I guess." She looked almost a nervous as Steven did, but if she was a guardian, well...she had to do a guardian's duty.

* * *

It was a long painful minute and when it was over Jasper had a wailing little ball of misery and soreness in her lap. Jasper leaned back slightly, mouth tense to keep it from trembling as she just looked helplessly down at the weepy mess on her knee. That was a lot more emotionally difficult than she thought it would be. It was perhaps the first time in her life she felt _awful_ for inflicting pain. Then again, it was the first time she had intentionally inflicted it on someone she cared for.

Jasper's hand drifted down to the child's back, resting there comfortingly. She wasn't well versed in the comforting aspect, but Peridot at least gave her a little bit of experience. Her other hand timidly smoothed through his hair slightly.

"I'm sorry..." Steven hiccuped out, hugging her knee as tears drenched her leg and the floor. "I'm s-so..."

"Sorry?" Jasper drawled. "I can tell." She uprighted the boy gently and just let him cling to her for as long as he needed. The child clutched to her like his life depended on it, jumping up so he was clinging to her neck and shoulders. She cupped a large hand around the back of his head. That seemed to calm him a little. He nuzzled into it.

"I guess all this has been hard for you, huh?" Jasper guessed. "You were a wreck when Lapis and I fought so I don't imagine this is much easier."

"I'm just sick of everyone fighting!" Steven sniffled. "I hate it, I'm tired of it! I just want us all to get along!"

"Life ain't that simple, kid." Jasper shrugged. "If that were the case there wouldn't have been a war in the first place." She frowned. "Regardless of how you felt, what you did was wrong. How would you like someone possessing you? It's not the best feeling, especially if you wake up with a footprint on your face."

"I know!" Steven sobbed. "I-I'm sorry—I'm not Homeworld! I'm not!"

That caught Jasper off guard. "Wha-?"

"I didn't mean to be like Homeworld!"

"Whoa, whoa—what? Okay slow down." She tilted his face up with a thumb and grimaced at the tears and mucus that wet her hand. This was a _disgusting_ process. "You're nothing like Homeworld, what the hell?"

Steven sniffled harshly. "Lapis said what I did was something Homeworld would do; controlling someone to do their bidding."

Jasper rolled her eyes. "Ah, the little guppy has a flair for dramatics." She chewed her lip. Well, Lapis did have a point. Mind control was not past Homeworld's capabilities. "Look brat, what you did was really wrong, but I know you'd never try to hurt anyone."

"Really?" Steven sobbed softly.

"Duh! You just fuc—er, screwed up really bad. But...we all do that." She sighed as her mind drifted to Amethyst. "Obviously..." Hardening herself again, Jasper shook her head. "Just don't ever do anything like that again," she warned.

Sniffling, nodding, Steven rested his cheek against her broad chest. "Wh-what was it like?" he asked quietly. "Was it really scary?"

"It was confusing," Jasper drawled. "I blacked out and woke with a freaking footprint on my face." She touched her swollen cheek. Amethyst could really pack a hard kick.

"I...I'm sorry," he sniffled, head bowed guiltily. "Do...do you hate me now?"

Jasper snorted. "If I did I wouldn't be holding you, you know. Besides..." She gave this wry little smile. "Trying something new called forgiveness. ...We'll see how that works out. And if I'm...a guardian?" That still felt so weird to say. "I'm not allowed to hate you."

Steven's red face flushed deeper, a smile on his lips as he looked at the warrior. Jasper averted her eyes, face a darker orange as she puffed out her cheek and set the boy down on the ground.

"There. You should probably let Garnet know I didn't kill you. And Peridot. She's probably scared out of her wits too." She rose to stand but was caught off guard as the child jumped on her again and hugged her tightly.

"'M sorry..." he sniffled into her, cheek rested on her shoulder. "Love you..."

Jasper froze, her eyes wide as she turned to look at the boy, stunned. Something tugged within her heart, a hopeful feeling...but she pushed it back. The boy was feeling vulnerable right now. He probably didn't even know what he was saying.

"...Go on then," Jasper finally said as she plucked the boy off. "I'm gonna clean the footprint off my face...And you have a few more apologies to make." She started out the door but Steven didn't seem keen on following.

"How did it go?" Garnet asked as Jasper walked out of the room.

Jasper snorted. "I mean...as well as it could? The kid bawled his eyes out and I felt like...a bully."

"How did he take to you afterwards?"

 _'Love you..._ The warrior was quiet for a long moment and then she shrugged. "He...he obviously would have wanted anyone to comfort him. He was sore and miserable. He's still in there, afraid to come out and face you." She smirked.

They watched as the door opened, but it appeared no one seemed to be there. Looking closer, anyone could see the bob of brown curls that pulled away guiltily when he realized he was spotted. Steven hid behind the door frame, tears anew filling his eyes.

Garnet smirked at Jasper. "Watch this..." Stony faced, she crept up behind the child. Seeing her, he tried to get away but she grabbed him. She held the guilty, tear dripping boy at arms length and her expression remained pensive.

"I..." He sniffled and directed his eyes down. "I was..."

She looped an arm around him and held him against her and then pulled up his shirt, blowing a raspberry against the boy's stomach.

Steven's eyes widened as he screamed and his tears immediately became from laughter as he kicked in his surrogate mother's hold, legs and arms pinwheeling desperately. "AHAEEEE-GARNET!"

Garnet chuckled as she let Steven's shirt fall back into place. Teary guilty eyes met her own as Steven threw his arms around her neck and softly sobbed out apologies. Garnet shushed him and mumbled forgiveness, passing Steven over to slender blue arms.

"Hey Guppy." Lapis's nose mushed affectionately against Steven's. He smiled through his tears.

"Thought that was Jasper's name for you..."

"It is but it fits you better. Small and adorable." She squished his cheeks together, making his lips go 'pfffth!' "And very mischievous."

"Hehe..." he giggled shyly. "Mischief is what makes little Stevie so precious."

"Can't argue there. For the record, you do a terrible Jasper impression," Lapis winked at him and handed him over to Pearl for a hug. Steven was passed down the line of family members for hugs, and Peridot squeaked as she was passed the teary boy.

"Heavy! Really heavy!" She buckled under his weight but hugged her brother tightly anyway. "You okay?" she whispered in his ear. "I was so worried!" She wasn't going to bother reminding him that she warned him. What was done was done and she didn't want him to dwell. "When I saw Jasper was the one carting you off I almost lost my form!"

Steven giggled slightly. "Yeah, I almost passed out too... But I-I'm fine. I'm gonna fear chairs for a few days probably, but nothing too horrible."

"Steven?" Garnet's voice spoke up. "You still have to apologize to Amethyst."

Oh great. Amethyst was standing there, but unlike the gentle eyes of everyone else, she...didn't appear too forgiving looking. "A-Amethyst, I'm really sorry I lied to you. I thought I was helping but I know I wasn't now. And...it was really bad what I did."

"Hmm..." came the noncommittal grunt as the purple gem turned away.

"Amethyst," Garnet warned.

"Alright fine, I forgive you." Amethyst gave Steven a halfhearted hug. "I just...don't want to be around here any longer than I have to." Pointedly refusing to look at Jasper, she made her way back to the temple door and into her room.

If there was a flicker of emotion Jasper refused to show it. She hardened herself back up and turned to her mewing kitten on the stairwell. "...I'm gonna feed Cheeto."

The rest of the group watched, disheartened as things just went back to how they were before. Jasper went back upstairs and Amethyst went back to her room.

"Same old, same old," Pearl sighed."I'm beginning to think things are just...going to stay this way. Honestly if any of us were to get along with Jasper I assumed it would be Amethyst. They're so much alike..."

"We can't force things," Garnet responded and gave Steven a look to make sure he got the message. "We have to let them work things out on their own." They all looked back to the temple door and staircase. "...Whenever that will be."


	22. Sisters

_(Not much to say as it was said all in my last chapter, but for the record this is one of my favorite chapters in what I've written and what I will write. I thought I made Amethyst too cruel at first buuuuut then I remembered she intentionally traumatized a grieving widower by transforming into his dead wife, so... ANYWAY enjoy!)_

* * *

"Okay now bend down!"

"I don't want to bend down," Jasper huffed.

"You have to, it's the point of leap frog!"

"I don't understand your earth games," the warrior snorted. "A card game is called 'Go Fish' but it has nothing to do with those smelly things with fins, and this has nothing to do with frogs."

"It's 'cause you jump the way a frog does!" Steven told her as he climbed up on her back. "I leap off you, you leap off me!" He bounced from her broad back and landed in a crouching position. The child hopped up and down as an indication that she was meant to be next.

Shrugging, Jasper got into the ridiculous position and jumped on the boy. Immediately, she drove him chin deep into the sand. "SHIT!"

All that poked from the beach was Steven's head and he gave a disoriented blink before a silly little smile. "Huh, guess I should have figured, playing Leap Frog with someone like...a thousand pounds heavier than me."

She flushed furiously. "A THOUSAND?" Jasper wriggled a foot into the sand and pried Steven free to the surface. "I'm not that heavy, you brat. I'm a gem, not an...ili-phant?" She thought that's what they were called anyway.

"Hmmm..." Steven rubbed his chin mischievously and before Jasper knew it, her weight was tottering against his tiny little hands and she gaped down at him. "Feels about a thousand!"

"Whoa...and HEY! It's NOT a thousand!"

Steven wobbled back and forth in the sand, smiling when he saw Pearl walking down the staircase with a tray of cold lemonade. Unable to spare a hand to wave to her, Steven wiggled a foot in greeting. "Hiiiii Pearl! I'm lifting weights!"

Wide teal eyes watched him. "I...I see that Steven." She offered the tray. "It's hot out so I thought everyone—or at least the kids—could use some lemonade!" She paused as she looked at the glasses. "I hope I did it right..."

"What's lemonade?" Peridot's voice came out warbled from inside a floating water bubble she was playing with by Lapis. "Another earth drink?" She pushed her feet and hands against the bubble to propel herself along to the rest of the group.

"Yeah!" Steven smiled as he sat by Pearl. "This one is sour. AND sweet. I think you'll love it. It's the best thing for a warm day like today!"

The water bubble bobbed over until she was hovering over a worried looking Pearl. The child tried reaching stubby green fingers through the bubble but the water molecules just bounced her back. "Lapis, pop me."

Lapis looked at the bubble and then at its victim underneath. She smirked. "'Kay."

"Wait-DON'T-!" Pearl was cut off as a torrent of water drenched her from above. Her half lidded stare of exasperation only made Lapis grin more, especially as Peridot landed on her drenched shoulders.

"Ouuu, it's such an interesting color," Peridot mused as she leaned over Pearl's sopping hair.

"Well, it has sea water in it now," Pearl said tersely.

"Hey, a little saltiness to some sweetness is good!" Steven dropped Jasper into the sand and bounded over to poor drenched Pearl. "Sea lemonade!" As he tasted it though, it didn't seem the sea water made it too delicious. He made a face of disgust but Peridot seemed to like it.

"Huh, the combination of the sugar and salt gives it quite a unique flavor indeed."

"That's one way to put it..."

Jasper reclined back into the sand as she put her arms behind her head and just relaxed into the sun. The glow of the sunlight was suddenly obscured by a blur of pink as Steven jumped onto her stomach. "Ugh! What now?"

"Launch me!"

"Huh?"

"Into the sand! Launch me! My Dad always did it when I was little, but I got too big and the last time he tried it his back cracked. I bet you could do it good. With your feet. Launch me!"

Jasper eyed him in confusion. She didn't know why he wanted that but it seemed simple enough. "Alright." The moment Steven jumped onto her feet Jasper punted him up into the air like a rocket ship, and all that was seen was the speck that was Steven somewhere in the clouds with a trailing scream.

"OH MY STARS!" Pearl shrieked. "JASPER!"

"What?! He said to launch him!"

 _"_ _NOT THREE HUNDRED FEET!"_

On the porch Garnet watched nervously with a hand to her mouth as Pearl scrambled back and forth like a frenzied chicken to catch Steven, until she finally leaped up into the air to grab him as he fell. The kid was far from frightened.

 _"_ _Again!"_

 _"_ _ABSOLUTELY NOT!"_

Garnet chuckled and sat back against one of the porch chairs. "They seem to be having fun." She directed her gaze to a hunched purple form on the banister that watched them resentfully.

"Hm...yeah," Amethyst muttered.

"Why don't you join them?"

"Pass," Amethyst snorted as she went back through the porch door. Garnet followed her.

"Amethyst, talk to me."

"I'll pass there too."

Garnet shook her head, but she knew she couldn't make the gem talk if she didn't want to. Especially someone as reserved as Amethyst. Trying to make her open up would just make things worse. Oh Steven proved that well enough...

"Alright. Think you can do something for me then?" Amethyst turned to her, waiting. "It's been a while since we've scoured the Kindergarten for corrupted gems and you could probably use time away from the temple. Pearl and I are going to the Pet Store to surprise Peridot with a pet. She's been jealous of Cheeto and Lion, so Lapis is going to distract her while we're gone."

Amethyst scowled. "And why can't I take care of the bean?"

"You could but I think fighting corrupted monsters would be best for you. It'll let you get out some frustration. When do you turn down a chance at beating something up?"

The stout purple gem crossed her arms. The scowl deepened. "And I guess I'm going with Jasper, huh?"

"And Steven."

"I don't WANT to go with Jasper!" She stomped her foot. "Why can't I just go with Steven?"

"Three quartz, three times the muscles," Garnet stated simply, but she knew Amethyst wasn't buying it. "Amethyst, Jasper could use this mission too. It would help both of you and you two NEED to work things out."

"Fine!" Amethyst stormed past her to the warp pad. "I'll GO but I'm not working anything out but these muscles!"

* * *

"This place gets more and more creepy every time we come here," Steven said, attempting to keep up conversation and keep things lighthearted as they walked the desolate canyon grounds.

"It wasn't that gloomy when I lived here," Amethyst shrugged. "I loved it. It felt like home to me, but then again I didn't really know anything else. Always chatted it up with my rock buddies."

Jasper snorted. "You talked to rocks?"

Amethyst threw a glare over her shoulder. "We're rocks, stupid."

"Figures someone as weird as you would have a conversation with a non-sentient pebble," Jasper muttered. Perched on her head, Steven tugged her hair and glared down at her.

"Jasper."

"Anything is better than talking to a warmongering, unlovable jerk like you," Amethyst jeered back.

"Guys!" Steven groaned. "Hey, let's...let's talk about the mission! Um, so what do you guys think we'll find? What kind of gem ya think? Maybe it's one we've never seen before! Maybe we'll figure out corruption today!" He whined as he saw the two were just glaring each other down again, deaf to his words. "Guys, come on!"

"I hate you," was all the largest gem hissed as she kept walking.

Amethyst gave a hard laugh. "Oh yes and I just lo-ove you! Just like Lapis! And it's exactly like Lapis because I don't really love you and I'm just lying to your big stupid face!"

"AMETHYST!"

Jasper skidded to such an abrupt halt that Steven was thrown off her shoulders. She just stared at the smaller gem.

Seeing she had cut deep, Amethyst sneered and kept driving in the knife as she suddenly shifted into a purple, jeering Lapis. "What's wrong, Jasshole? Can't handle the truth?"

Jasper was frozen but Steven was practically shaking with rage. "AMETHYST, you unshift RIGHT NOW!"

Finally Jasper's golden eyes filled with tears and narrowed in hate as she shoved past the purple gem. _"Fuck you."_

'Lapethyst' scoffed as she watched her run off. "Don't be such a cry baby! That's why I'm so turned off by you, Jasper! That's why it'll _never_ work!" She was caught off guard when Steven abruptly, harshly shoved her down.

"HOW COULD YOU!?"

Amethyst shoved him back, hard. "Yo, what's your problem? I'm just giving her a taste of her own bitter meds! Not my problem she can't handle the side effects!"

Tears started in Steven's eyes as the rage he had been trying to suppress finally boiled, overwhelmed with the fighting he could no longer stand. Conflict after conflict and even if Jasper had started things this time, Amethyst really crossed a moral line.

"I'm so TIRED of this!" he sobbed. "I'm tired of you being so horrible to each other! Why would you say that to her when you know that's her worst insecurity is thinking no one cares?!"

"Well that's obviously not true since all you care about is her!" Amethyst shot back.

"YOU...YOU'RE JUST...BAD!" Steven roared and he whirled past her and ran in the opposite direction that either of them had gone. Amethyst watched him go and furiously wiped at the tears on her own face.

"Yeah? And you're _NEVER_ gonna be as good as Rose you big LIAR!" She stormed off and sat angrily down on the edge of one of her rocks.

"I'm NOT bad!" she howled out to the empty canyon. But good wouldn't do the sort of things she had done...

She drummed her feet against the boulder and ground her teeth together a she tried to keep her rage teeming as long as he could. If she didn't it would give way to the true emotion: pain. And it very quickly did.

 _Why do I always hurt someone?!_

She gave a furious cry as she jumped down from her boulder. It had been her fault, she couldn't let it go...

* * *

Farther in the basement of the Kindergarten Jasper was wiping her own face.

 _You're fine. You know Lapis loves you. She's just a spiteful little bitch, ignore her._

A guttural hiss echoed from somewhere nearby, and it didn't perk the spirit in Jasper that it normally would. In fact, she hardly cared, but she still had a job to do.

"Come out and face me, mutant," she sniffled out halfheartedly. The growling was somewhere behind her, and it had attracted the attention of Amethyst as well. Amethyst had her whip drawn out as she searched. She could use some distraction right now and something to vent on that she wouldn't feel awful about later.

The monster finally crept out from the crevices and towered over her. It resembled some form of a canine with a large mane of white hair. It expelled a beastly screech and reared up on its back legs. Amethyst's hands tightened on the handle of her whip, but when she saw its stomach...she froze.

A round pink gem, one that looked exactly like a rose quartz was embedded in the creature's stomach.

"Wh-what?" Amethyst's eyes trailed down to look at the monster's feet—and her heart just plummeted. There were scraps of pink cloth by the beast's feet. Her eyes filled with tears as bile rose into her throat.

"Steven?!"

At this point Jasper had skidded out of the basement control room with her helmet at the ready as she drove a foot back to lunge at the beast. Amethyst waved her arms frantically.

"NO, don't hurt him!"

"Him?!"

Her shaking finger pointed to the pieces of Steven's clothing and back to the gem. Jasper's legs gave way as she fell weakly to them and just stared at the creature in denial.

For Amethyst, the surge of panic and guilt was enough to override any rationality that the fact Steven was turned into a beast from them fighting was hardly likely. However, it's not like Amethyst knew what made corruption.

"Oh Steven!" Amethyst sobbed as she launched herself to the monster and clung to it for dear life. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I did this! I turned you into this! I-I ruined you! You were right, I AM bad!" Her fist banged against his chest in grief and frustration.

"I always mess stuff up! I never should have said everything I-I did! I was just scared! I was scared that everyone would forget me because Jasper was here! I-I was afraid you'd see everything I was supposed to be and go to the-the better me!" She could hardly speak through her sobs. The creature snarled and grabbed her hair, yanking at it. Amethyst winced at the sting but she knew she deserved it.

"I felt like I was losing you to-to Jasper and even Peridot! I-I feel like I lose everyone! Pearl 'n me used to be so close but then she drifted and I lost Rose, and I th-thought Jasper was taking my place! And I just took my worries out on her and you, and..." She broke off with another sob and clutched the mutant tighter. "OH PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME, STEVEN!"

Jasper was watching the horrifying scene through tears of her own, but amidst Amethyst's sobs and the monster's snarling, she heard something. It was a very distinct wail. A young, heartbroken little wail.

 _Steven..._

"Amethyst!" Jasper bolted forward and gripped the distraught gem's shoulder harshly, shaking it. "AMETHYST!"

"What?" Amethyst choked out. She finally calmed her tears long enough and looked up. Then she heard it too: the loud childish wailing. "St...Steven?" She pulled back to look at the mutant she was holding. "You're not Steven..."

The two quartzes bolted past the monster through the canyon, shouting Steven's name. Their conflict was forgotten in the midst of trying to find their little boy and soon the wails became closer, until they were right beside them.

"Steven?!" Amethyst peered into one of the holes Steven had crawled into. The poor broken boy was just sobbing into his hands and the sisters' hearts broke at the sight of him. He was covered in scratches and cuts from one of the gem beasts and his clothing was tattered with where its claws had ripped his shirt.

"Oh Steven," Amethyst crooned softly as she crawled in to gather the child in her arms. "I-I'm so sorry." She nuzzled his cheek softly and wiped blood gently from around his scratched cheek.

"I didn't mean to call you bad!" Steven sobbed back.

"Sh-sh, never mind that," Amethyst soothed. "Come on buddy, let's just get you home."

They ran out towards the entrance of The Kindergarten but something was quickly gaining on them.

"It's the thing I thought was Steven!" Amethyst growled as she evaded a large swiping paw. "I don't have time to play right now, but I should beat you up FOR TRICKING ME!"

Jasper glanced over her shoulder. From the cast shadows of the canyon it was hard to make out the details on the large form, but she didn't see the quartz on its belly. "No, I don't think it is. It's another one entirely. They look pretty similar though! Get Steven to the warp pad! I'll hold off this thing!"

As the purple gem retreated further into the canyon Jasper crouched and prepared for a fight. She sneered. "Finally, I get to beat something up on this stupid planet. Bring it, you freak of nature!"

The monster roared and slammed its head into the rock face, sending several boulders down towards the Quartz warrior. Jasper leaped up and struck her fist into the biggest one, splintering it into dust and kicking the rest back into the clifface.

The mutant clawed its way through the canyon crevice. Out in a sliver of sunlight Jasper could make out...an unmistakable detail as something glinted on the beast's neck. Orange, jagged...

"A...a jasper?" What she saw next when the Jasper beast stepped fully into the sun tore her world asunder.

Somehow Amethyst immediately sensed that something was very wrong. Jasper wasn't following them, but shouldn't she be done by now? She could poof that thing in one punch. Amethyst ran back to where she had left them both. "We have to hurry! ...Jasper?"

Jasper just stood there, her eyes fixed on the mutant that was slowly lumbering towards her. She stood unblinking like a statue.

"Jasper, what are you doing?!"

Molten red eyes leered down at her as the canine-eque beast rose its claws over her. Its skin was a vibrant crimson and had one lone orange stripe over its left eye. Jasper felt her resolve crumbling when a realization crashed into her like a ton of bricks.

"I know you," Jasper whispered weakly as she staggered back. "I know who you are..."

"Jasper!" Amethyst tucked Steven into one arm and rammed her other hand against the giantress, trying to get her to budge. "What's the matter with you?!"

The gem mutant let out a gurgling hiss as its sharp nails pressed against Jasper's face.

Jasper threw a hand to her mouth to stifle the sob that choked from her throat. "I-I fought with you! You were my second in command! But I-I thought you were gone!" Her weight buckled, crushing Amethyst beneath her.

"No-no, don't do this!" Amethyst cried, pounding against the other's back. "We don't have time for this! We have to get Steven home!"

The monsters' claws grabbed Jasper's face but she hardly registered the pain and she clutched them tightly with a sob. "I nicknamed you Stripe because of the mark over your eye! I thought you died! B-but you're...this!?"

Any other time, Amethyst would have just left the quartz. Steven was more important to her and Jasper was a war veteran. There was no gem monster she couldn't take on, but with her in such a state of catatonics leaving her would be her demise. Jasper would die to her long lost comrade if she refused to fight her.

"JASPER!" Amethyst shouted in alarm when she saw the monster's other claw rear back. "JASPER SHE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND!" She wrenched herself out from under the warrior and laid Steven down before barrelling into Jasper with all her strength. The needle sharp nails of the beast barely grazed her foot.

"NO! Amethyst, don't hurt her!" Jasper shouted out. Amethyst parked herself in front of her sister protectively as the monster prepared to pounce.

"I'm sorry Jasper! I have to!"

Amethyst rolled back up with her whip. She lashed it through the air and ensnared the monster around its belly. With one vicious squeeze, the mutant dispersed into a puff of smoke.

"NO!" Jasper shouted as she caught the little gem in her hands. She burst into tears. "I'm sorry! I-I didn't know! I-I had no idea...you were still alive! If I knew that the Diamonds..." She broke off into a sob and clutched the gem close. "Stripe! I...I...I couldn't save you..."

"Jasper..."

Amethyst stood back with Steven and watched the large warrior break down. She glanced down at Steven's teary face and looked back to Jasper. "Jasper, I..." She took a hesitant step forward, and then just threw herself at Jasper and clutched tightly around her neck.

"I-It's okay, sis..."

Jasper gave a shaky inhale as she dropped the small stone and clung back to the smaller quartz like her life depended on it. Amethyst shut her eyes mournfully as a few tears slipped out into Jasper's shoulder. She stroke her large mane softly.

"I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Jasper sniffled out. A certain scraped up little boy wandered into the embrace and the three just held each other for a few long minutes.

Finally more composed, Jasper wiped her eyes but gave Amethyst a look of uncertainty. "L-Lapis...she loves me, right?" she sniffled to Amethyst.

Amethyst winced at the remembrance of her stupidity but she smiled as she smushed Jasper's nose endearingly. "Yeah, she does. Every dumb inch of you," she teased softly. Their heads rested gently against each other's.

"I-I'm glad everything is okay now," Steven said with a shaky smile. He grimaced as the salt from his tears stung his scratches.

"Not quite, Steve-bro," Amethyst said as she cradled the child again. "You're definitely not okay. You look like someone pushed you through a cheese grater. C'mon, let's go home." She gazed back to Jasper as she gazed sadly upon the stone of her former friend. Amethyst put a hand on her sister's arm.

"You wanna send her off, Sis? She'll...she'll be safe in a bubble. It's the best you can do for her."

Jasper formed a bubble around the tiny gemstone and whispered a final good-bye as she sent it off. Amethyst put a hand on Jasper's arm and gently guided her to the warp pad. The warrior's clouded eyes never left the spot her friend had been in.

Laughter from the house was a vast contrast to the heavy cloud that loomed around the group as they appeared on the pad.

"Cheeto's chasing him!"

"I think she thinks he's a toy."

Their smiles faded to horror when they turned to see the scuffed up group, and especially poor Steven.

"MY BABY!" Pearl shrieked as she bolted over to take the little boy into her arms. "Oh-oh, what happened?!"

Steven squirmed as his other surrogate mother fussed over his injuries. "It's okay, I just got a little scratched up. Pearl! Ahaha, you don't have healing kisses!"

Garnet went to get the medical kit they kept on hand for Steven and Peridot. "The mission didn't go the best, I take it?" She gazed upon the forlorn quartzes and frowned in concern at the grieving look on Jasper's face.

"She...ah..." Amethyst squeezed Jasper's hand gently. "She met with...an old friend in The Kindergarten."

Garnet's mouth creased in sympathy and without saying a word she wrapped her arms around Jasper. Jasper immediately clutched right back. Amethyst wrapped her arms around what she could of her sister's waist.

As soon as Pearl was done dabbing antiseptic on Steven's scrapes the little boy scampered right over and flung himself into the hug.

"Wait, don't leave me out of it!" Peridot bolted over with Lapis and settled in the embrace. Lapis pressed a loving kiss to her mate's temple while little Peridot wriggled into the center of the embrace. "Family hug! And _I_ wanna be in the middle!"

"Family hug," Pearl agreed and stepped over to join their train wreck but somehow still perfect of a gem family.

The love that palpitated from the gesture filled Jasper with a warmth she had never before felt and a realization that Steven and Garnet had been right all along. She really _was_ loved. It was such an alien concept and one she never wanted to let go of. The tears that lined her eyes were for an entirely different reason now.

"So what's Cheeto chasing?" Steven finally piped up as they broke the hug.

"My new pet!" The group surrounded the skittering critters on the floor, that now consisted of a tabby kitten and a fat little brown hamster. "Meet Little Steven!"

Steven laughed. "Why did you name him after me?"

"Uh duh, because of his bubble?" Peridot gestured to the rosy colored hamster ball rolling around on the floor. "He's got a Rose Quartz bubble just like you!"

"Hm, a snack for Cheeto," Jasper mused, snickering at the furious glare Peridot shot her.

"Don't even think it, you oaf!"

"That's no way to talk to your other Mom!"

"Just make sure Little Steven stays in his bubble," Pearl scolded the gemling. "I don't want him running free all over the house! ...Speaking of Steven, Steven 1 looks like he rolled in a dirt mound," she teased gently. "So does Amethyst."

"Hey, the Kindergarten is dirty you know!" Steven defended. Both he and Amethyst yelped as they were suddenly dragged into Jasper's lap and subjected to her sand-paper like tongue.

"JASPER!" Steven squealed. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm cleaning you. Isn't this how your kind bathes itself? I saw Cheeto do it."

"JASPER, THAT'S HOW CATS BATHE!" Steven laughed as he pushed against her face. "Gross! I'm gonna be full of slii-iiime!"

"OH COME ON!" Amethyst groaned. "SICK! I'm REALLY gonna smell like Lapis now!"

Garnet sat back and smiled as she watched the rest of her family laugh amongst Steven and Amethyst's protests and giggles. Finally for just one moment, everything felt right.

* * *

Later that night, everyone had retreated into their own rooms, save for the Quartz sisters. Jasper understandably couldn't relax, and Amethyst was concerned about her—especially when she saw her sister's hunched form on the deck with a golden bubble.

"Whoa, whoa!" Amethyst yelped as she rushed over. "Jasper, you can't let her out!"

"Wha?" Jasper scowled. "I'm not. I just..." Her face fell. "Wanna...be with her."

Amethyst swung up onto the banister and gazed down at her forlorn sister. "...Wanna talk about it?"

Jasper shrugged listlessly. "What's there to talk about? She's...gone."

"Well, maybe it would help to tell me about her."

Jasper gazed at the bubble in her hands. The moonlight made it glow a bright sunset orange. "I...I didn't even know her for very long. She was a lot like me. She was so loyal to her comrades. She'd have given her life for any of them. She'd fight until the very end. ...I guess she did." Amethyst had her chin rested softly in her hand as she listened. "We all knew each other as Jasper, but since she was my second in command, to put her apart from everyone else, I called her Stripe. I guess I don't know why I was so broken up over her. We didn't know each other long."

Amethyst shrugged. "Well I mean, whether or not you two were best friends, if I knew someone that turned into a tormented husk of her former self with no recollection of her friends-I'm not helping." She slapped a hand to her face at the pained look on Jasper's face.

Her purple fingers grazed the air around the bubble and rested comfortably on Jasper's. "I popped out after the war. I...didn't have a chance to know anyone that could have been corrupted. I'm sure Garnet and Pearl did though."

"...So did you really mean everything you said to that gem mutant? You've really just been an ass because you think Steven would forget about you because I'm here?" She watched Amethyst's shoulders sag. "I mean...that's just ridiculous. STEVEN of all people? He couldn't forget anyone. The kindness in his heart, I have a hard time believing his mother is Rose."

Amethyst's eyes darkened briefly at the jab to Rose, but she knew Jasper didn't know any better. Rose had only been a source of pain for her. "Steven said the same thing really, that I was just nuts for thinkin' it. But...I mean you were right, I was made wrong. And...you're what I was supposed to be."

"...Yes," Jasper agreed. She shrugged. "Who said that's a bad thing though? Peridot is a classified defect and Steven is something that never should have even existed, but can you see life now without either of them? Besides, even if you were made wrong...you still pack a hell of a punch."

At that Amethyt perked up and straightened proudly. "Well duh. I'm a little stick of dynamite. Small and mean!"

The two snickered and Jasper sent off Stripe's bubble. Her gaze fell on a cluster of stars in the sky. Homeworld's galaxy...

"...Would you go back?"

Jasper looked at the smaller gem. "I can't."

"I mean if there was a ship here, or a way to go back. ...Would you?"

It was something that Jasper hadn't even considered for so long. Knowing she had no way to return home and bonding with others here, she had more or less begun to reside to life on earth. Her girlfriend, her kid(s), she had almost everything that really mattered.

The only other thing she really wanted she knew she'd never again have.

"...I don't know," she said honestly. "I don't even know where I'm meant to be anymore, or what I _am._ I'd protect you all from them if it came down to it, but I wouldn't call myself a Crystal Gem." She made a face. "Ever. But I'm...I'm not a Homeworld gem anymore either. I...I don't think I belong anywhere."

Amethyst scooted next to her. "You know, I get that feeling. For the longest time, I felt like that too. I felt like an outsider. Pearl and Garnet were made in space and were the way they were supposed to look too. I hated myself, and I resented my own existence knowing I came from a place that they classified as 'bad.' I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere, but sooner or later things just...fall into place."

She took Jaspers hand in her smaller palm. "Even after this long I still feel like I don't belong sometimes, and...I feel lost. So..." She smiled sheepishly. "Maybe we can...not belong together?"

Jasper smiled and squeezed the smaller hand. "Yeah. Deal."


End file.
